On The Remaining Embers
by Snownut
Summary: The Empire has risen to become the ultimate power in the universe. When rebels ally with the Jedi that remain to kidnap the High Chancellor Amidala's daughter, Leia, it falls to young Luke Naberrie to rescue his sister. AU ROTS intertrilogy
1. Chapter 1

**On The Remaining Embers**

"I cannot create life, but I can breathe on the remaining embers."

Lorien to Capt. Sheridan; Babylon 5.

Prologue

Since the end of the Clone Wars the last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away. The Empire is now the ultimate power in the universe. Under Palpatine's direction, the Jedi, once the celebrated guardians of peace and justice throughout the Republic have been hunted down and destroyed by Darth Vader. Only one obstacle to Palpatine's absolute rule remained; the body of the Senate. Loyalist opposition led by Senator Amidala of Naboo was sweeping the newly christened Imperial Senate. Faced with the loss of control over his newly won Empire, Palpatine realized his failure in not removing such a prominent politician soon enough. The only option left to him was to accede to the demands of the senate, or surrender. He embraced the call of the Loyalists in their demand for a representative of the people in the new Empire and named Amidala of Naboo the Imperial High Chancellor. And yet, while he seemed sympathetic to the needs of the people, the Emperor had been shrewd in his appointment. At the height of the Clone Wars, he had learned of a secret union between Amidala and the Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker.

Although it had always been difficult to rein in the idealistic Amidala, the Emperor found the young woman broken and easily guided in the wake of her husband's untimely disappearance during combat. Skywalker had been a Jedi, and therefore a threat to the Empire. When the boy had failed to embrace Palpatine's teachings, he had fled with the rest of the Jedi scum. The loss of Skywalker had been a great blow, he had long intended for the boy to kneel before him. But in the end, it hadn't really mattered. He had already fulfilled the Emperor's need for an apprentice.

He had sired twin children as powerful as himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Holonet NEWSFLASH

The Office of the High Chancellor issued another statement apologizing for the continued absence of Lady Amidala from all Imperial Senate meetings; citing her continued illness. It is the sincere hope of this network that the High Chancellor will recover quickly.

In later news…

News of his mother's condition, so coldly recited over the news was scarcely new to Luke Naberrie. He sighed heavily as he switched off the holoset. His fingers itching, he looked to the comm. station longingly—but it would do no good. Besides, he was less than an hour away from boarding the transport that would take him home to see his mother. In either case, if she were still ill, she would be in no condition to receive a call.

"Luke!" Ralij Varquand eagerly pounded his fist against the door before he pressed the door buzzer. "Luke! Are you in there?"

"Yes, yes, I'm here." Luke rose and opened the door, smiling up into Ralij's exuberant face.

"I'm going to stay on Coruscant for furlough. We'll be able to see the opening of the new velocidrome like we talked about!"

"You're not upset about not going home?" Luke's slim fingers sought out the doorframe and held on, tightly. His stomach churned, and he grimaced; though he outwardly put on a smile.

"No, not at all. In fact, I'm glad! My father would only punish me for my marks this semester."

"I see." Was all Luke could think to say, but his stomach turned every time he met Ralij's eyes.

"Well, give me a call whenever you think you could manage to go. I'm ready!" Ralij smiled bravely as he turned away; and Luke took a deep breath, willing his friend's feelings to leave him.

Traffic on Coruscant had been a problem for far longer than most beings in the universe had been alive. Traffic lanes were overfilled most of the time, the same with the hyperspace lanes both on and off planet. Outwardly composed, Luke sat primly with his bags at his feet, anxiously waiting for his transport. Most of the students who were going home for holidays had already gone, and those who remained were holed up in their quarters or down in the recreation rooms.

"Ah, Luke."

Luke looked up to see one of his professors walking toward him. He rose to his feet, snapped a respectful salute before averting his eyes to the floor; the very picture of an obedient Empire Youth.

"At ease, cadet." Luke lifted his chin, meeting Professor Malkin's cheerful eyes. "Sir?"

"Luke, I wished to speak with you before you left." Malkin sat down and gestured for Luke to do the same.

"My transport seems to be running a bit late," Luke smiled, resuming his seat," so I'm at your disposal, sir."

"I understand your appointment for training rotation has been to Lord Vader's ship." He said gravely.

Luke looked puzzled, then stricken. "Why--?"

"I'm not certain." Malkin admitted. "You're a good student, you have never received a demerit. I can only assume that someone is very impressed with you, and expects great things. To my knowledge, you're the only cadet ever assigned to the _Executor_."

Luke sighed, somehow looking both flattered by Malkin's praise and dismayed by the news. "Thank you for telling me, sir. I know we were going to receive a notice over holiday."

"I thought such news should at least be given in person." Malkin gave him a wan smile, then rose to his feet. "You'll take care of yourself?"

"Oh, yes sir." Luke rose as well, and took Malkin's hand when he held it out.

"Then the best of luck to you."

"I don't believe in luck." Luke said, shaking Malkin's hand firmly. "But thank you, sir."

"Enjoy your holiday, cadet." Malkin released Luke and quietly headed down the far corridor.

"Thank you sir!" Luke had no sooner sat down again when the speeders arrived and he hurriedly climbed to his feet to greet the handmaiden who walked in to retrieve him.

"Hello, Luke." Sabe Marterre pushed back the hood of her cloak and smiled at him. Luke bounded toward her and wrapped his arms about her happily.

"Am I glad to see you!" he squeezed her tightly. Sabe hugged him back just as warmly, motioning to the droids to take his baggage.

"Let's go home, shall we?"

Minutes later, Luke had his nose pressed to the transparisteel window of their private transport, waiting for an accident. He was likely to see one too; there was at least one every afternoon. Beside him, Sabe sat with her legs primly crossed. She gave him a smile when she saw him looking, and leaned forward to pat his knee.

"How is Mother, Sabe?" he asked finally.

"She's fine, you know. No worse than before."

"But the Holonet—" Luke tried to look her in the eyes but failed. She was always ill, a condition stemming from an assassination attempt ten years ago that had nearly succeeded.

"You know they always overexaggerate. Anything to make a headline." Sabe scooted over to sit by him and pulled him into a hug. "Is your mother all that worries you?"

"No." Luke admitted reluctantly. "Professor Malkin came to tell me about my cadet service appointment."

"Anywhere you haven't been before?" Sabe asked, running her fingers lightly through his spiky blond hair.

"Yes." He swallowed nervously. "I've been assigned to Vader's ship."

Sabe froze, her fingers ceased their soothing run through his hair. "Vader?"

"Apparently so." He said softly.

"You're going to be just fine, Luke." Sabe wouldn't look right at him though. "The Emperor wouldn't allow you to be sent to Vader if there was any danger."

"You really think so?" Luke looked up, Sabe was smiling a little.

"Your mother would be most upset if something were to happen to you. The Emperor would run the risk of losing two servants to the Empire in that case!"

Luke laughed aloud, imagining his mother challenging Vader if so much as one hair on his head had been disturbed. "I suppose so."

"Just the same, I don't want you to say anything about it to her just now." Sabe cautioned, and Luke sobered.

"I won't." he promised. Looking to the window, he found they weren't anywhere near the residence yet. "Where are we going?"

"We'll need to run some errands." Luke made a face, and Sabe laughed aloud. The last time they had run errands, Luke had been forced to sit through several senate committee meetings that lasted most of the day.

"Not what you're thinking!" Sabe smiled at his dark look; she'd seen it many times on her mistress's face over the years. "We'll be picking up Leia."

"Oh!" Suddenly, Luke felt warm all over. It had been at least six months, if not more since he had spent any time at all with his twin. Feeling along the bond that bound him to his sister, he was relieved to find she was as happy to see him as he was to finally see her.

Leia had grown since he had last seen her. Though standing out on the platform surrounded by her retainers, Leia looked even smaller. Despite her dimunitive stature, she held her head up proudly. Luke felt a pride rise up in him; she was a miniature replica of their mother. Looking up to him, she met his eyes and smiled as she accepted Typho's hand and his help up into the speeder. Without waiting another minute she threw herself across the seat and wrapped her arms about him.

"Luke!" She kissed him, and Luke squirmed uncomfortably and pushed her away.

"Eww! Don't kiss me!"

"You certainly haven't changed much." She laughed, as did Sabe, whom Leia hugged next before sitting back with her legs crossed, back straight and head held high.

"How is Mother, Sabe?" Leia asked into the silence, and Sabe sighed heavily.

"No better, but no worse than before. I imagine seeing the two of you will make her well faster than any medicine a droid could give her." Sabe affectionately ran a hand through Leia's thick curls and Leia leaned into the touch.

Luke went back to staring out the window in hopes that they'd be home soon. A gust of wind buffeted the speeder, and both twins sat up to peer out the window to the depths of the city below. Another gust of wind, and the speeder's clear transparisteel was splattered with droplets of water. Leia slid down in her seat again and restrapped her restraint. There were two speeders in front, and another three behind, plus a TIE escort.

Luke watched in fascination as the pilots wove expertly through a standard series of manuevers and came up along side their transport.

"Luke, sit down please." Sabe called, and Luke reluctantly fell into his seat and pulled his harness on, still craning his neck to try and watch the fighters.

"That is so cool." He breathed softly. "Someday, I'm going to fly with them." he said, and Sabe felt a chill. Reaching out, she gently put her hand on his shoulder.

"I know you will." She said simply, and he smiled at her.

The speeders began to slow as they approached the Imperial Palace, and the TIE's veered away as soon as they entered the restricted airspace. Flying smoothly past the great Palace, they continued on to the High Chancellor's private residence; nestled in the city-planet's garden district, it was home to the few private parks and the remaining natural old growth trees. The speeders settled down on the private tarmac, and Luke and Leia hurried to unstrap and gathered their cloaks before bolting down the lowering ramp.

"Wait!" Sabe called, but her cry went unheeded. Shaking her head, she followed them at a sedate pace. Their gleeful cries echoed throughout the hangar and Sabe smiled.

The residence always seemed warmer when the children were home.

The interior of the Chancellor's residence was bright and airy; filled with plants and a large indoor waterfall that dominated the front hall. Great transparisteel windows ran from floor to ceiling in some rooms—it made defending the residence a bit more difficult, but Amidala had utterly refused to consider changing the design. She had only conceded to removing the windows entirely from the bedrooms. Luke always loved coming home, the house reminded him of his grandparents home in Theed. The clouds were deep and impenetrable, even at this level. A thick swirling mist of fog and drizzle seemed to fill the room, and despite his happiness at being home, he felt his happiness begin to dim beneath the inclement weather.

Looking to Leia, he found her expression matched his own. He reached out a hand and took hers, squeezing it reassuringly. Sabe removed her cloak and handed it to a young serving girl.

"Milady was asking for you, Lady Sabe." The girl said softly, and Luke watched the way Sabe's expression warmed.

"Is she feeling better?"

"I believe so, her physicians seemed encouraged about her condition today."

Sabe smiled her happiness, and Luke felt his spirits lift.

"Why don't the two of you change, and get ready for evening meal while I see how your mother fares?" Sabe offered, and Luke grinned.

"All right." Both twins said together, and laughed aloud. Still holding hands, the children turned and all but skipped down the hall to the left, while Sabe turned to the right. Her heeled shoes rapped loudly on the tiled floor as she moved swiftly down the hall. Acknowledging the guards that stood on duty outside the door, Sabe stepped close.

"I understand that Milady has asked for me?"

"Yes, Lady Sabe." The lieutenant activated the controls that opened the door, and motioned Sabe inside. Steeling herself, Sabe took a deep breath and stepped into the darkness.

Nearly ten years before, when Amidala had been a Senator and representative of the people of Naboo, she had been an outspoken idealist. Her policies and her tendency to act during her time as Naboo's sovereign had earned her a great deal of respect—and even more enemies. Sabe herself had not been in Amidala's service at that time, but she could recall hearing about a series of assassination attempts over the Holonet. If she was truthful with herself, she could even admit to a twinge of guilt that she had not been there to help protect her friend. There were a great many things that Sabe longed to know about Amidala from that time. The assassination attempts had prompted Chancellor Palpatine to order Jedi protection for her, but Sabe was still uncertain of the events that followed. The Battle of Geonosis, and Amidala's subsequent involvement. The sudden blossoming of her relationship and marriage, of all things, to Anakin Skywalker. She still puzzled over what it was exactly that her mistress had seen in him as a mate, as a husband. The only aspect of their relationship she had not contemplated was of the creation of their children. The man had been an arrogant, insufferable fool, but he had been utterly gorgeous.  
Sabe smiled ruefully as she took one step inside, and then another until they closed the door behind her. She cringed as the pressure seals clicked into place, and then she could hear the air beginning to circulate back into the room through the vents in the roof above her. The entire room was a specially designed hyperbaric chamber, for Amidala's fragile health had been an ongoing problem after the last assassination attempt had nearly succeeded. After the initial explosion of her speeder escort, Amidala and Obi-Wan Kenobi had been thrown from the cockpit and were catapulted into freefall through over four kilometers of Coruscant traffic, broken only by the duracrete tarmac of a landing platform. Between the injuries she had sustained in the initial blast which included a chemical searing of her lungs, numerous burns, countless broken bones including her ribs, both legs and a fracture of two of her vertebrae, not to mention her third trimester pregnancy, she had been lucky to survive. They all had. Moreover, it had only been with Kenobi's assistance that she had lived at all, he had rescuitated her numerous times while they waited for the medics, and had even used his skills within the Force to try and breathe the life back into her. Sabe stood still for a moment in the darkness, waiting for her eyes to adjust.

"Sabe? Is that you?"

At the whispered sound of her name, Sabe lifted her chin and slowly scanned the bed, trying to find Amidala's small form buried amid the mound of blankets.

"Yes, milady. It's me." Her eyes adjusted, Sabe stepped forward again and moved to the side of the bed, sitting down carefully. "How are you feeling?"

Amidala coughed, the sound so faint Sabe could scarcely hear it above the hiss of the respirator. She struggled feebly to sit up, and Sabe helped, pulling her up until she was sitting and then piling a few pillows behind her to prop her up."Stronger." She whispered.

"May I turn on the light?"

"Keep it low, please. It hurts my eyes" Amidala asked, and Sabe nodded her understanding. She tapped the glow panel on the bedside table and it flickered on dimly.

She looked terrible, her features sunken and pale. Thin strands of brittle, tangled hair had been forced into a braid to at least keep it out of the way for her recent bacta immersions. Amidala lifted her chin to meet Sabe's eyes briefly, and she took heart at the familiar sparkle in her friend's eyes. She coughed again, longer this time than before, her tiny frame quaking with the force of it. She pointed with a shaking hand at the ventilator mask, and Sabe quickly obliged, pressing it to her mouth and nose. Slowly, she calmed again, and Sabe removed the mask.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, thank you." She whispered again. She lay back down again, wearily. "Are the children home?"

"Yes, and they were most anxious to see you." Sabe whispered. Amidala's eyelids were flickering, she was falling asleep again.

"As I long to see them." She mumbled. Then she was silent, and Sabe was just about to leave her to her rest when she spoke again. "Bring them after they have eaten evening meal?"

"Yes, milady." Sabe promised. She waited a moment longer, to see if there was anything else, but her breathing deepened, and she knew her friend was sleeping again. She rose silently and shuffled back to the door. With one last look to her mistress, Sabe shook her head sadly and left her chamber. Moving as quickly as she could, she rushed down to the end of the hall and let herself outside. Night was falling and the fog was thickening. The gardens were lost in the swirling fog, their small glowlamps simply couldn't dispel the encroaching darkness. Even the sound of the fountains was muted and lost in the silence. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and let the cool mist wash over her. Above her, a light flickered on, and then another, and another, until the patio was awash in a rosy tinge that reminded her of countless summer nights spent in Theed. She smiled then, reluctantly moving back into the noiseless, dimly lit halls and into her own chambers to change.


	3. Chapter 3

Sabe found herself staring down the clone officer assigned to stand before the airlock doors of Amidala's bedchamber. This one looked the same as all the others, of course—but the Imperial High Chancellor had proclaimed that no member of any security force attending her household would be allowed to wear a helmet within her sight. Sighing, Sabe shifted her weight impatiently and crossed her arms. It had always been her custom to await permission before entering her chamber. This time though, Sabe awaited access from the physician who was checking over Amidala to make certain that she could receive the children. She hadn't been waiting long when the door finally opened and the physician Liral waved her inside. He was a short, stocky man with thinning hair and heavily rounded features. He was a servant of the Empire, as well as a sneak and a spy. Sabe mentally readied herself for another go-round with him. It was best to stay on your toes with this one. Liral's presence was one more way for the Emperor to keep an eye on the household of the High Chancellor. Not only did he need Amidala's unwavering loyalty to keep the senate under his influence, he also needed her allegiance to secure that of her very powerful children.

"Good evening, Sabe."

"Good evening, Liral. How fares milady?"

"Much better than I initially anticipated at this time in her treatments." The physician dragged a hand wearily across his face.

"Oh?" Sabe asked quietly, though her eyes kept darting to the door of the fresher where Kinlaee had finally taken Amidala for her bath.

"Yes, as I'm sure you noticed, she is beginning to regain her strength in much less time than it took before."

"After nearly eleven years, she can almost sit up on her own after thirteen hours of bacta immersions in three days. Quite impressive." Sabe said coolly. The physician glared at her sarcasm.

"I believe the Chancellor is well enough to receive her children this evening. Since I have so ascertained her condition, may I be dismissed?" he asked coldly.

"Of course, have a pleasant evening." Sabe turned her back on him coldly and made for the fresher to see if she could help.

The room wasn't so depressing when the lights were on, and every one of them blazed brilliantly, as though trying to dispel the lingering feeling of gloom and illness before the children could see it. Sabe found that Kinlaee had already lain out her mistress's bodysuit, so Sabe moved to the fresher door and pressed the chime.

"Who is it?" Kinlaee asked loudly.

"Sabe. Need any help?" she asked, kneeling before the door to be heard through it.

"Yes, please!" the handmaiden called eagerly. Sabe eagerly stepped inside, squinting to see through the steam. She found Kinlaee and Amidala on the stairs of the whirlpool, both looked up at her in relief.

"Thank you so much, Sabe. It's a great deal easier to have help."

"I understand." Sabe peeled off her house slippers and socks before tucking up her skirts and wading into the water. "What are we doing?"

"My hair," Amidala said softly. Sabe looked to her in surprise; perhaps she had not given enough credit to Liral, she sounded more like herself now than she had a few hours ago.

"I think we can handle that." Sabe held out both hands to the Chancellor, who eyed her suspiciously. "We'll need to be in deeper water, milady."

"How do I know you won't just dunk me?" she asked calmly. Kinlaee looked appalled; but Sabe only laughed.

"I never did pay you back for that, did I?" she waggled her fingers at Amidala. "You'll just have to trust me, won't you?"

Between Sabe and Kinlaee, they had no problems finishing Amidala's bath. Together, they lifted her out of the water and set her on a padded chair under the heat lamps while they rubbed her down with a towel. Sabe sent Kinlaee out to get her bodysuit, and picked up a comb to try and make sense of her tangled hair.

"Been a long time since I did this, huh?" Sabe asked finally into the silence, and her mistress smiled, snuggling further into her towels.

"Thankfully! You were more merciless with the comb than Sache or Eirtae."

"You moved too much." Sabe retorted, though she made a special point of working meticulously through a knot.

"Oh, Sabe, I have missed you." Amidala sighed.

"I've been here, milady." Sabe said absently. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Then let's say I missed being here."

Sabe looked up when her lady's hand came to rest on top of her own. It was thin, and bony, and the skin was callused and dry, but her grip was strong. Sabe smiled at the strength of her grasp. "Thank you, Sabe."

Sabe opened her mouth to return the thanks, but closed it as Kinlaee returned with the bodysuit and bubbling about the children.

"—you'll be so surprised at how they've grown, m'lady!"

"I'm sure they have." She whispered softly, and Sabe was happy to see that the news pleased her. Together, both handmaidens got Amidala to her feet and into her bodysuit. It was designed to keep her temperature at a constant level of warmth, for her frail, damaged body had proved long ago unable to support itself without assistance.

Sabe hurriedly finished combing out Amidala's hair, and both women were pleased to find that it wasn't nearly as damaged as they had thought.

"Let's go, Sabe!" Amidala finally exploded when the handmaiden reached out to put a trace amount of make-up on her; to hide the paleness of her features. Sabe grinned, and conceded.

"All right, Kinlaee. Let's get her back in bed."

"I want to walk." Amidala asserted stubbornly.

"You know how it tires you. Do you want to walk, or save your energy for the children?"

Amidala pretended to consider it, and then whispered; "Help me."

Sabe and Kinlaee wasted no time in picking her up and carrying her into her bedchamber. They set her on the bed, and settled her beneath the covers. Sabe hooked up her monitors, while Kinlaee bustled about picking up the towels and separating them into the wash.

"Are you ready, milady?"

"Yes, yes." She answered impatiently. Sabe hid a smile, and moved to the door.

"Let them in." she called, and the lieutenant opened the door. Luke shyly peeked around the corner, and Leia was directly behind him.

"Is it okay, Sabe?" he asked quietly.

"Of course, she's been waiting to see you. Come on, Luke." Sabe offered her hands to both children and led them inside.

"Hello, my little ones." Amidala called cheerfully, and Sabe gratefully released Leia's hand so she could run to her side.

"Hi Mama," The girl leaned in close to kiss her cheek, and Luke moved to her other side and did the same.

"Hi Mom," He offered. Padme patted the covers and both twins obligingly clambered up onto the bed.

"My, you have grown." She mused.

Leia giggled, but Luke only gave a ghost of a smile. "How are you, Mom?" he pressed.

"I am feeling better, Luke." Padme took his hand and squeezed it tightly. "Really."

"Mama?" Leia snuggled close to her mother and urgently tapped her arm. "Guess what?"

"What?" Padme took Leia's hand and held it tightly as she leaned back into the pillows propped behind her.

"I got the highest marks ever this semester!" she bubbled, and Sabe smiled. Not to be outdone, Luke snatched his mother's other hand and both twins animatedly shared their academic achievements. True to his word, Luke said nothing of his new appointment to the _Executor_. Sabe stood quietly in the background. She kept half an eye on the children, and the other on the monitors set in the wall panel. After about half an hour, Sabe could see Amidala's vital signs begin to change. She looked tired, sinking slowly deeper into her nest of pillows. Sabe sensed Liral enter from behind and tap his chrono in silent admonition.

"All right," Sabe interrupted quietly, "your mother needs her rest, and so do you." Both children looked down, suddenly shy.

"Of course," Luke slid off the bed and turned, only to stop when she squeezed his hand.

"I love you, Luke."

"I love you too, Mom." He leaned in and kissed her cheek, and when she returned it he released her hand and bounded toward the door. Leia kissed and hugged her goodnight and followed her twin.

"Go ahead and get ready for bed." Sabe called behind them.

"Okay. Good night, Mom!" the twins chorused. Their footsteps echoed down the cavernous halls as they raced to their rooms.

"Good night." Amidala called quietly. Liral quietly moved to her side and began rechecking the monitors. Apparently finding nothing amiss, he bowed.

"Good night, Milady." He said.

"Good night." She returned.

Sabe stepped forward as Liral left, helping Amidala lie back down in her bed and pull the covers up about her. She looked drained, but happier than she had been in a very long time.

"Do you need anything, Milady?" Sabe asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed and brushing her hair away from her face.

"No, thank you." Amidala's eyes had closed; her words were slurred, she was asleep already.

"Good night, Milady." She whispered fondly. Sabe stood, gliding soundlessly to the monitor panel and checking her vitals one last time. Everything was as it should be.

When Sabe woke the next morning, she felt as though her head had been put into a vice. Her whole body ached, and a feeling of cold dread had settled about her. The chime to her private quarters sounded, and she quickly got to her feet to answer it.

To her surprise, Kinlaee was standing in front of her door with her hair disheveled and a houserobe that had been hastily donned. She bowed, bobbing up and down quickly. Her eyes were enormous and her face pale. For a moment, Sabe feared that the worst had come to pass, that Amidala had slipped away in her sleep.

"My apologies for waking you," Her words ran together in haste, "but I thought you should know the Emperor is on final approach and is expected to land within minutes. He has asked to see Milady."

Sabe sighed to herself, then schooled to her features to something guileless.

"Of course we must be ready to receive him. Stir the household if you would, Kinlaee, and then come help me in Amidala's chambers. We must make her ready as well."

Kinlaee bowed, and then flew off to wake the household. Halfway down the corridor, she came to an abrupt halt and called back; "What of the children?"

"Wake them as well, and see that they are suitably dressed to see the Emperor, should he ask for them." Sabe said firmly. Before Kinlaee could come up with another question for her, Sabe hurriedly disappeared back into her chamber and dressed in the first set of robes she could find. She pulled her hair back, stuffed her feet into a pair of shoes and raced out the door to Amidala's chamber.

"Kinlaee?" Sabe activated her commlink as she moved quickly down the corridor. "How long until the Emperor arrives?"

"Fifteen minutes at most."

"Copy." Sabe bit her lip. "Make certain that Luke is in his Academy attire. It pleases the Emperor to see an Empire Youth. And that Leia is not in anything overly frilly. Perhaps she should wear a school uniform as well, to make certain the Emperor is given the impression of an obedient child."

"I will do my best."

"Make haste to Milady's chambers when you are finished."

"Yes, Sabe."

Sabe motioned for the sentry to open the door as soon as she rounded the corner. The air seals hissed, and as soon as Sabe moved in as the guard resealed the room. Sabe brought the lights up to an acceptable level before crossing to the bedside. Amidala was still asleep, as her scheduled waking hour was nearly an hour later at 0900. Her vitals looked better than they had the night before and Sabe was loathe to wake her, but there was no point in taking the risk of offending the Emperor.

"Milady?" Sabe gently shook her shoulder, took her hand and squeezed it firmly. "Milady?"

Amidala stirred slowly, her eyes fluttered open, then closed again under the harsh light. She looked confused—she was not accustomed to being so rudely awakened first thing in the morning.

"Sabe?" she mumbled.

"Yes, milady, I'm sorry to wake you. We received word that the Emperor has decided to pay you a visit."

"How nice." She mumbled incoherently, closing her eyes again. Sabe kept up a running conversation with her while she piled the pillows against the head of the bed. She ignored Amidala's cry of pain as she roughly picked her up and eased her against them, propping her in a sitting position.

"I'm sorry, Milady." She murmured. She rechecked all the monitors and wires to make certain nothing was being pinched off or blocked. Amidala leaned her head back tiredly as far as it would go, but she couldn't quite get to a comfortable angle to doze off again. She watched Sabe under half-lidded eyes as she puttered about the room, picking up debris and straightening the chamber. She rummaged about in a closet and came up with a houserobe that was marginally acceptable when compared to her plain bodysuit and slipped it on over the top of it.

"Could you sit up, milady?" Sabe helped as Amidala pushed herself up feebly. Sitting beside her, she motioned for her to face away. Sabe hurriedly unbraided and rebraided her hair. She longed to put some conditioner and detangler in, it was so brittle and stiff. But it would have to do.

"Sabe?" Kinlaee was breathless. "The Emperor has arrived."

"Milady is ready to receive him." Sabe said smoothly. "See his escort down here, Kinlaee."

"Yes, Sabe."

Sabe leaned in close to Amidala. "How are we doing?"

Amidala coughed, and Sabe made to ready the ventilator mask, but she waved it away. "Same as always." she wheezed, and Sabe grinned. Amidala's eyes sparkled warmly, and Sabe felt relieved.

"That bad, huh?" She smiled fondly at her friend, and smoothed her hair away from her brow. "Are you ready to receive him?"

"Isn't it a little late to ask?" Amidala was skirting sleep again; she peered at her friend through half-lidded eyes that thankfully still shone with mirth.

"Better late than never." Sabe snorted softly.


	4. Chapter 4

The shuffling of booted feet on mosaic tile always made Sabe tremble. She could recall where she had stood at the base of the Palace's steps on the day Naboo fell to the Empire; feeling the subtle tremor of booted feet marching down the promenade. Wave after wave of stormtroopers had marched down the streets to stand at every corner and their white armor seemed like a premature frost that slowly lulled their beautiful world to sleep.

Sabe shivered involuntarily as she thought back to the feeling of dread that had washed over her when she had awakened earlier. The Imperial Guard filed in, taking up silent positions near the door both the inside and out. Sabe clutched at Amidala's hand reflexively and she squeezed back as firmly as she could. She was trembling. The door to Amidala's hyperbaric chamber hissed open, and Sabe braced herself for the inevitable chill the Emperor's presence seemed to bring to mind whenever he was in the room.

Whether a result of the Jedi's assassination attempt as he claimed, or merely a result of his own decaying flesh, the Emperor's gait had long since been reduced to an awkward shuffle. His gaunt, bent frame seemed to slither through the doorway. He pushed his hood back, and his yellow eyes took in Amidala and Sabe, still seated beside her. His wrinkled, desiccated face stole her breath and turned her stomach.

"How are you, my dear?" Emperor Palpatine asked sympathetically. Sabe felt her insides twist as the Emperor moved to Amidala's bedside and took her hand. She longed to bat at him, to knock Amidala's hand from his grasp and take her—all of them to a place far away, where they could no longer feel his presence. If there was such a place left in the universe.

"I am no worse than before, Your Majesty." Amidala said quietly. Her eyes were obediently downcast, her voice was meek and submissive. Sabe longed, irrationally, to strike her mistress; to goad her into action once more. But she suppressed it. She always suppressed it.

"I have heard from your physicians that your condition has grown worse again." He croaked, and Sabe winced. His yellow eyes roamed over Amidala's slouched form.

"It is nothing, Your Majesty. Merely an indisposition. I thank you for your concern." Amidala's other hand was still curled in Sabe's, she was gripping it so tightly that her knuckles had turned white and her palm was slick with sweat. She knew what was coming, they both did. As it happened so many times when she had fallen ill for an extended period of time, the Emperor came. He would send Sabe away, indeed, all of Amidala's staff. He would transfer his own power to her, infusing her with his dark energy so that her mangled body might survive another day. So that she would once again be useful to his Empire.

Amidala had admitted once, shortly after the first visit that she would have rather died than be so used, but for the sake of her children she lingered. Sabe felt her stomach heave when Palpatine barked his order for her to leave. Sabe rose, a true servant of the Empire, and bowed deeply. She tore her hand from Amidala's desperate grasp and moved blindly into the hall. Face turned away in shame, she could see Kinlaee's terrified expression mirrored her own as the door closed tightly behind her.

Sabe had stood limply in the hall for a few moments, straining to listen. But she heard nothing, only the hiss of the oxygen supply moving through the vents. The Emperor would emerge when he was finished with Amidala. He would leave her asleep, as he had so many times before, and when she woke she would be ill for the remainder of the day, perhaps two. She would sleep through the night, and awaken a true servant of the Empire. Brilliant, focused, dedicated, yet she would be a shadow of the woman she had been before, focused on furthering the Emperor's grasp on the galaxy. As she had once said herself, the more the Empire tightened its grip, the more star systems would slip through their fingers. But as long as the children remained within his reach, she would never stir herself to do something about it.

Sabe wiped at the tears on her cheeks, ran her fingers through her hair. She smoothed her robes and motioned for Kinlaee to follow her.

"Where are the children?" she asked quietly. "I expect that the Emperor will see Luke."

"They were aware of his arrival, and agreed to dress themselves appropriately and wait in the breakfast room." Kinlaee smoothly joined her as she walked away to the safety of the main residence.

"Very good." Sabe said, sweeping down the stairs and heading toward the breakfast room on the left. The children were seated, picking unhappily at their morning meals. Both looked up the instant Sabe entered, and rose, but Sabe motioned them back into their seats.

"Eat, please. There's no news as yet."

"Is he here to help Mother?" Leia asked anxiously, and Sabe took a deep breath. Amidala had never really explained her relationship with the Emperor to the children. They simply understood that she was a servant to the Empire, as they all were. They assumed that because she served so closely with him, that he was a good friend and mentor. Palpatine had more or less assumed the role of a distant father-figure with Leia, and seemed a patient mentor to Luke. Whether or not Amidala had taken notice, Sabe could see that he was grooming Luke as his heir.

"Yes, I believe so. He asked to be alone with her, so I came to see how you were doing." Sabe settled down beside them. "Eat, please."

They reluctantly settled down and resumed picking at their food. Both seemed subdued, their expressions far more serious than they should have been for children of their tender years. Luke, in particular seemed a little more anxious than Leia, squirming about once in a while with a pained look on his face. When they had both finished their meals, Sabe sent Leia to her studies and quietly pulled him aside.

"What is it, Luke?" she asked.

"I…" he looked upset, and she knelt down before him. "I can feel Mother. She's in pain." His lip quivered, and Sabe hugged him tightly.

"From her injuries?" _Or the Emperor?_ Sabe dared not speak that thought aloud. Thinking it seemed treasonous enough.

"Yes, I think so. The Emperor will heal her, won't he?" Luke turned his little face up, his eyes searching hers.

"I believe he will do what he can." Sabe said sincerely. Luke nodded, slowly, and turned to enter his study room.

"Luke?" she asked, and he looked back at her. "You will let me know if you feel anything else from her?"

"Of course." He smiled bravely, and Sabe smiled back. The door to his alcove slid shut, and Sabe wrapped her arms about herself and squeezed as tightly as she could. There was only time to wait, now.

The day had seemed interminable. Luke and Leia had somehow been more patient than she herself had, they had finished their studies in a timely fashion, eaten lunch, and settled down for a game of holochess. Once in a while, Sabe found Luke sitting quietly, with his eyes closed, and his eyes squinted in pain. She wondered at it, almost gathering the courage to ask him about it, but then he would open his eyes and resume his play. Sabe found that she was not the only one preoccupied with the Emperor's presence. The household staff had been found wandering the halls as well, and there were so many of them standing in vigil that Sabe had finally broken down and allowed anyone who wished to remain in wait for their mistress a reprieve from their duties.

It was late in the evening when the Emperor finally emerged from Amidala's chambers, his desiccated face greyer, his yellow eyes more sinister than before. He motioned his guard to precede him to his transport. Sabe held the children's hands as she guided them to the hall where the Emperor would make his way past. They pressed close to the wall, and each bowed deeply before him. He didn't speak, only stared at them while pulling his hood over his head. His eyes seemed to bore into Luke's, but the boy only stared straight ahead, neither meeting his gaze nor averting his eyes. To his credit, he didn't even flinch when the Emperor's gaze took his measure from the inside out. With his hood drawn, and his frightening features half-hidden, he motioned Luke toward him. He bounded forward obediently, and Sabe released his hand with difficulty. The child fell into step behind the Emperor's red-robed guards as they made their way to the entrance. Leia shivered as they passed through the doors, Luke's presence must have passed beyond some barrier within the Force that she could not breach. Sabe held her hand tightly, though she was uncertain who she was trying to reassure, the child or herself. With the Emperor's departure, the residence was eerily silent when the doors closed. Rousing herself, Sabe took a deep breath, feeling as though the weight had been lifted from her shoulders and she could move about freely at last.. Without another moment of hesitation, she bolted for the entrance to Amidala's hyperbaric chamber.

Heart pounding fiercely, Sabe tried to ignore her rising fear as the sentry keyed the code for entry to Amidala's chamber. Somewhere behind her she could hear running footsteps. As soon as the pressure seals unlocked, Sabe slipped inside when the door was wide enough. She hit the light switch, bringing the lights up as she moved to Amidala's bedside. She was slumped over in the bed, her face pale, her breathing erratic. Sabe's eyes flew to the monitors, which were disconnected. Amidala made a choking sound, as she slid to her side and Sabe felt her heart leap into her throat.

"Kinlaee! Get Liral up here now!" She yelled.

"I'm on it!" Kinlaee rushed to the commstation while Sabe frantically checked her pulse. It was very fast. Sabe carefully settled her back in bed and reconnected the monitors. The monitors lit up as the readings came in and Sabe felt her own heart rate speed up. The monitors started beeping as well, their pitch increasing steadily until it was a shrill warning.

"Kinlaee! Quickly!" she called urgently. So focused was she on the unmoving figure in the bed that she didn't notice Leia, who moved forward, her small features frightened but determined. Kinlaee tumbled back into the room, her sallow expression seeming to become pastier by the moment. She made her way to Amidala's bedside and began fidgeting with the monitors and leads. Both handmaidens watched as Leia slowly made her way to her mother's bedside, and reached out with her small hands. Sabe opened her mouth to order her out, but something in Leia's eyes took her voice away. She rested her palms on her mother's arm, then started running her fingers up and down it. She sat down on the side of the bed, and expanded her touch, running her small fingers up onto her face and tracing the lines around her mouth and eyes. Sabe watched, fascinated, as the monitors on the wall above began to flicker and change. They were improving; her breathing and heart rate were slowing. And then the monitor fell silent, its shrill warning a distant memory. Sabe felt her breath catch, she sagged against the wall. Leia slowly removed her fingers, and shivered. There were tears on her cheeks, and she shuddered for breath. She wiped away her tears, and took her mother's hands.

"Mama?" she asked quietly.

Amidala shifted, her eyes opened. Color crept back into her features, like the first hint of sunlight over the horizon. She blinked, and smiled gently. Kinlaee burst into tears, and Sabe felt like doing the same, but she settled for watching in silence.

"Are you all right, Mama?" Leia asked fearfully, and Sabe sank down on the bed beside her to pull her close. The child was trembling and Sabe hugged her tightly.

"Of course I'm all right." Amidala whispered, reaching out to brush Leia's cheek with her fingers. She blinked glassy eyes in sleepy confusion. Something like concern crossed her features, but she was too tired to pursue it. Her eyes slid closed again despite her effort to keep them open, and she sank back into sleep.

"I'm glad you're all right." Leia said, and slumped back into Sabe's warmth gratefully. Sabe held her, squeezing her. "She's okay, Sabe."

"I'm so proud of you, sweetheart." Sabe whispered reverently. Leia smiled wanly, and Sabe carefully picked her up and settled her beside her mother. She drew the covers up about them. Kinlaee hovered in the background, checking and rechecking the monitors.

"Kinlaee, see if you can find any sign of what her readings were before the Emperor's arrival. Liral may need that information." She mouthed, and the other girl nodded before racing from the room.

"I helped Mama." Leia mumbled drowsily.

"Yes, you did." Sabe whispered, smoothing her wavy hair back. Footsteps pounded down the corridor outside, and Sabe looked up to find Liral standing in the doorway. He was out of breath, his eyes fixed on the monitors over the bed.

"Sabe?" he managed breathlessly. "What has happened? Kinlaee told me it was urgent—"

"Everything is all right, Liral." She paused for a moment, squeezing Leia's shoulder reassuringly before standing. She watched as Leia shifted in the bed and stilled again, before giving her attention to the physician.

"The Emperor has healed her." she began. "Shortly after he left, we arrived to find her in a state of distress." She watched Liral carefully. She did not trust him, she never had. He was a servant of the Empire. "But Leia came in. Milady must have taken comfort in her presence, for her readings began to stabilize."

"Lady Sabe!" Kinlaee was running down the corridor, and her shrill voice echoed off the vaulted ceiling. "This is incredible! Sabe!"

"Calm yourself, Kinlaee. Milady is fine, and there is no need to fuss." She called out.

"I have copies of her records. Would you believe that although her condition has improved in many ways, in others she has actually regressed--" Kinlaee burst in the doorway holding a stack of datapads. "There is now a great deal of evidence to suggest that the Emperor may have doing something all along to impede her healing—"

Kinlaee froze as she realized that the physician was standing next to Sabe. Her pale face whitened still further, and her eyes widened until Sabe feared they would pop out of her head.

"You suspect the Emperor of some impediment to the High Chancellor's healing process?" he asked coolly. Kinlaee looked to the floor, swallowing nervously. Sabe, to her credit did not bat an eye.

"Kinlaee!" Sabe put enough emphasis into her tone to reflect a certain amount of horror. "How could you suspect the Emperor of trying to harm Milady? He has only ever tried to help her overcome her illness!" Sabe pretended to start forward in fury, only to find Liral was already in motion. He slapped the girl sharply, and Sabe just managed to hide her cringe. Kinlaee was crying, a hand pressed to her stinging cheek. She had dropped her datapads, and was whimpering.

"You incompetent fool! Sabe!" Liral roared, whirling about to face the other handmaiden. Sabe refused to flinch, she met his gaze coolly.

"Yes?" she asked politely. She pretended to level a fierce stare at poor Kinlaee. Liral stared at her, furrowing his brow as he contemplated Sabe's involvement. At some point, he must have realized he would have to wait another day to catch Sabe off guard. As it was for the moment, she was an excellent actress, and Sabe knew as well as he did that the security cams had just recorded their entire conversation.

"Have you known this girl to be a rebel sympathizer before?" He asked finally.

"Certainly not! I would never have hired her for Milady's handmaiden if I had any inkling that she might have been sympathetic to the rebel cause." Liral stared at her for a moment before his eyes fell and he scrubbed at his throat for a moment, lost in thought. He walked carefully over to Amidala's bedside, picked up her wrist and checked her pulse. He set her hand down slowly, then looked back up to the monitors and pursed his lips. Kinlaee folded into a heap, trembling violently as she leaned against the doorway. Amidala stirred to wakefulness once more at the physician's touch.

"Liral?" she murmured.

"Yes, milady?" he asked dutifully. Sabe circled the bed and settled down beside her mistress.

"What are--?" she asked in confusion. Sabe smoothed her brittle hair away from her face.

"I'm merely checking your condition. The Emperor has healed you, milady." A sinister look came over Liral's face, and Sabe sighed imperceptibly. "Do you have any reason to believe that the Emperor would ever harm you, milady?"

Amidala's look of sleepy confusion gave way to dawning understanding. She made to sit up a little, and Sabe assisted her, piling pillows behind her. She swept the stray strands of her hair away from her face; took in Leia, who was sleeping beside her. She leaned down and fondly kissed her daughter's forehead. She eyed Kinlaee, who was standing in the doorway. Sabe could see the Emperor's influence already, her eyes narrowed, distant, cold, her jaw set in anger.

"Of course not." She said firmly. Liral nodded. Amidala's mien was firm, impregnable. "The Emperor would certainly have no cause to harm me. I could never suspect him capable of such an act; he has been a friend and supporter of mine since I was a child."

Liral shifted his gaze to Sabe, who finally spoke up on her own. "I believe the Emperor only has Milady's best interests at heart."

"It would seem that the Handmaiden Kinlaee is a subversive, and a rebel sympathizer." Liral rubbed his chin thoughtfully, eyeing Sabe shrewdly. She met his gaze steadily, and he finally looked away. Striding forward, he moved to the sentry standing in the hall. He turned back to face Amidala, who nodded imperceptibly.

"On behalf of the High Chancellor, I order you to arrest the handmaiden Kinlaee." He commanded, and the trooper reached out his arms and tugged her into his grip. With great effort Sabe managed to remain utterly still as she desperately tried to hide her revulsion. Sabe turned her attention to checking Amidala surreptitiously.

"How are you feeling, Milady?" she asked gently.

Amidala shrugged, her brown eyes were cold, unfeeling. "A bit tired, perhaps. Far better than I did before the Emperor's visit. " She said after a moment. "Stronger."

"That is wonderful." Sabe said, smiling. "Do you need anything?"

"A few hours of rest and quiet."

"Of course." Sabe stood, curtseying slightly. "Should I return Leia to her own bed, Milady?"

Amidala hesitated. For the first time since she fully woke, her mask of cool indifference seemed to falter. Her children were the High Chancellor's one weakness.

"Yes, I suppose you should. She would be more comfortable." Amidala looked around the room before looking back to Sabe. "Where's Luke?"

"He has accompanied the Emperor, milady. Would you like me to send him in when he returns?" Sabe carefully picked Leia up and held her close.

"If it is not too late." Amidala slid back down in her bedclothes and flipped onto her stomach. She grunted, very faintly, when she got tangled in one of the leads coming out of her arm, but managed to untangle it without Sabe's assistance. She gave a deep sigh, and tugged the blankets up over her head. Less than a minute later, and Sabe could hear her breathing slowing. She was asleep already, and it was a clear dismissal for Sabe, who smirked despite the gravity of the situation. Taking careful, slow steps, Sabe balanced Leia's sleeping weight carefully and made her way to the door. She could hear raised voices, and rapid footsteps echoing on the Nubian tile. Most of the household was coming to stand in silent vigil, each eagerly awaiting the kill. Leia shifted, and woke in confusion. She struggled briefly to free herself, but paused when she twisted in Sabe's arms and realized she could see the entire household standing around them. She froze; her eyes darting to find one of her mother's handmaidens standing in the center of the room. Poor Kinlaee was crying, a trooper held both of her arms behind her back and marched her forward.

"Leia, I want you to listen to me." Sabe whispered urgently. "Don't look, honey." She held her tightly, and pressed Leia's head back into the crook of her neck. "I want you to close your eyes and cover your ears. Do you understand?"

"Sabe, " she began, but Sabe shushed her.

"I don't want you to see what happens next. Promise me?" Sabe pleaded.

"What has she done, Sabe?" Leia whispered.

"She is a traitor to the Empire. She is a rebel sympathizer." Sabe longed to tell Leia the truth, Kinlaee wasn't any of those things. She was a good, decent person who had been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, and now she was going to die.

"Then she deserves to die." Leia whispered. Despite her words, Leia's brown eyes were filled with compassionate understanding. Sabe smoothed her hair, and whispered her request again to Leia, who nodded and closed her eyes. The only sounds in the room were Kinlaee's muted sobs and the scuffling footsteps of the household as they tightened the circle in expectation. Sabe pressed Leia's hands over her ears, and tried to subtly move to the back of the group, but found she was blocked in. Liral motioned for the guard to push Kinlaee to her knees on the tile. He moved to stand beside her, raising his arms to call attention to himself.

"Kinlaee, handmaiden to the High Chancellor, you are accused of high treason by your senior. You have cast suspicion upon His Imperial Majesty. You have impugned his character by suggesting his presence in the High Chancellor's healing chambers was anything but his benevolent desire to help her." Liral was grandstanding now, waving his arms about. His voice warmed as he continued extolling the enormity of her crime. It didn't help that the security cams were recording the entire event. The Emperor himself would likely be replaying the scenario, and ordering it sent out over the Holonet.

"Have you anything to say in your own defense?" Liral asked. Kinlaee opened her mouth, but the trooper pressed in closer to her and with his presence looming over her, the girl said nothing. She looked up to the ceiling and sighed, shakily.

"Has anyone else any desire to defend the handmaiden Kinlaee?" Liral asked with false generosity. No one spoke. Sabe felt tears threaten, but managed to keep her expression stern. Liral was speaking again, and Sabe spared a look down to the child in her arms. The household began pressing in closer, and Liral pretended to shake his head sadly.

"You have not defended yourself, and none have spoken in your defense. You are thereby found guilty of high treason, handmaiden Kinlaee." Liral motioned to the guard, who removed his ceremonial saber and held it out for him. Kinlaee was staring at the floor in resignation; she didn't even acknowledge the man standing above her. "For treason, the punishment is death."

Sabe felt sorry for the girl, but didn't dare show it. She concentrated on remaining stern, even angry. The household looked on; a sort of sickening excitement pervaded the air. They enjoyed the punishments meted out by the Imperial Guard. Liral took up the saber with a relish, flicking the saber on. He stood before Kinlaee, holding the blade out away from his body. And then suddenly, he looked up, and his cold eyes found Sabe.

"Handmaiden Sabe. You are Kinlaee's senior. Perhaps it is your place to remove this cancerous threat to the Empire." Liral offered the hilt of the blade to Sabe, who felt the bile rise in her throat. In her arms, Leia sat up sharply. Sabe longed to plead that it was not something she could do while the child was in the room, but realized it would be futile. Death was a way of life in the Empire, if you committed an act against the Empire, you died. This was not the first such death Leia had witnessed in the High Chancellor's household, and it would not be the last. Sabe carefully set Leia on her feet, and stepped away from her. With a confidence she didn't feel, Sabe took up the saber, and looked down on the poor serving girl.

"I will do my duty to the Empire." She intoned solemnly. Sabe raised the blade to a classic offensive position and did her best to make the severing blow as quick and painless as possible. The hissing of the lightsaber rose to a steady thrum as Sabe brought the weapon to bear. Kinlaee's head rolled slowly across the floor, her gray eyes stared sightlessly into Sabe's own. Leia remained unmoved, her brown eyes were dull. She took in Kinlaee's severed head dispassionately as she reached up to take Sabe's hand. The execution ended, most of the household began to return to their duties. Smiling, Liral took the saber from Sabe's lifeless fingers as he made to leave and returned it to the guard, who went back to his post. Sabe remained in the corridor for a moment. Still clutching Leia's hand, she slowly knelt down beside Kinlaee's headless body and quickly said an ancient prayer for the poor girl's soul.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys...I just wanted to thank everyone who responded so far! No flames ( and they're very constructive to boot!) I also want to apologize in advance...I have been struggling to post this for over a week now, and it won't stay edited with the breaks...I only post with the errors because I'm craving feedback (and thus, more direction) for the next part. I promise a cleaner version in the future!

At night on Naboo, the cities fell silent shortly after sunset. Residential areas would display brightly colored evening lamps and a myriad of colors would light the streets. Children would play out of doors in safety, their voices slowly fading as the night lengthened, until at last all were abed. Coruscant's nights were vastly different, as the skies were already aglow with every color in the spectrum; but in her desire to recreate that fond memory for her own children, Amidala had a similar night cycle created for them. Leia was silent; absently holding Sabe's hand in her own she seemed to be deep in thought. Sabe let her be for a time as she struggled to make sense of her own thoughts. Apparently paying no mind to her surroundings, the child came to a sudden halt as the lights dimmed completely overhead, an inky blackness so deep that Sabe felt Leia clench her hand fearfully and bury her face against her cloak.

"What is it, little one?" Sabe asked quietly.

"I--," Leia sighed softly, as the night time lights slowly came back up. Leia's tiny face was rimmed in red from a pastel light directly above them. Sabe could not completely hide her shiver of fear. "The darkness scared me, that's all."

"It's all right, Leia. It's okay to be afraid of the dark." Sabe said softly. The child nodded, and gave her a shy smile.

"Let's get you to bed." Sabe pushed Leia's bedchamber door open and guided her inside. While Sabe folded the bedding back, Leia changed into her nightclothes and snagged a brush off her nightstand before climbing into bed. Leia's cheeks were streaked with tears; she wrapped her arms about Sabe and hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry, Sabe." She whispered, and Sabe gave a start.

"What are you sorry for, sweetheart? It certainly wasn't your fault." Sabe smoothed her hair back, and wiped her cheeks.

"That you had to kill Kinlaee. She was your friend, wasn't she?" Leia asked.

"She was once." Sabe took a deep breath. The security cams were still rolling overhead. "But when she became a traitor to the Empire, Leia, she had to be stopped."

"I know." Leia sat up all the way and climbed into Sabe's lap. "She shouldn't have said bad things about the Emperor. He was only trying to help Mother."

"That's right." Sabe took up the brush and made short work of the girl's wildly curly hair. She rolled the strands together and carefully braided her hair flat, the way her mother had always liked hers done at night.

"The Emperor's very nice, Sabe. He's always been nice to Mama and Luke and me."

"I." Sabe corrected automatically.

Leia grew thoughtful for a moment. "Why do some people not like the Emperor?"

"I don't know, sweetheart. Perhaps because they don't know him very well. There are very few who know him as you do." Sabe set the brush back on the nightstand and drew the covers up about Leia. "Do you need anything before you go to sleep?"

"No."

"All right then. Good night, sweetheart." Sabe pressed a kiss to Leia's forehead. Sabe made her way to the door and dimmed the lights.

"Is mother all right now?" Leia asked in the darkness.

"Yes, honey. She seems to be feeling much better now."

"I like it when she feels better." Leia said, shifting to lie down in her bed.

"Me too." Sabe hesitated for a moment, and then closed the bedroom door.

"Sabe?" Leia called softly, and Sabe leaned back to put her head in the door. The child was sitting up as though she had remembered something very important.

"Yes?"

"Do you think Luke is all right?"

"Oh, of course honey. Luke will probably be back in the morning." Sabe lied. "Sleep tight."

"Good night." Leia smiled warmly, and lay back down in her bed. Sabe slid the door closed, and started down the corridor again, only to falter the moment she was out of range on the security cam. One hand unsteadily sought the support of the wall, and Sabe let out one gasping breath before she managed to gain control of herself again. Straightening, she stared intently at the tiles on the floor, her smoldering gaze fixed in fury at the mark of the Empire laid in the center of each tile. There was no place left in the galaxy that evil could not touch if there was no one left to try and stop it.

Luke was never certain what to think when the Emperor commanded him to come. As a young child, their time together had been brief. His mother had cautioned him that the Emperor was too important a man to spend much time with young children. But as Luke had grown older, the Emperor had seemed to enjoy his company more and more. They played holochess, or talked about Luke's classes. The Emperor seemed most interested in helping Luke become a pilot—it had been his idea for Luke to take the steps to become an Imperial youth. And it had been his recommendation that had gotten Luke into the Imperial Academy a full two years before he'd have been of an age to apply. Luke had remained silent as he followed the Imperial Guard up the ramp of the Emperor's shuttle. He'd strapped himself in without a word, knowing from experience that whenever the Emperor wanted to speak with him, he would.

His curiosity peaked when the shuttle slowly lifted off the rooftop hangar of his mother's residence and began to make its way up into space, and not toward the Imperial Palace.

"Boy." A young lieutenant stood before him, waiting impatiently. "The Emperor would speak with you."

"Yes, sir." Luke hurriedly got to his feet and followed the officer down into the Emperor's private quarters. "Thank you, lieutenant--?"

"Needa. He is waiting for you."

"Thank you, sir."

"Good luck, boy." Needa said softly. Luke smiled at him.

"I don't believe in luck." Luke pressed the chime and waited for a moment as the door opened from within. Luke slowly entered, letting his eyes adjust to the ever present darkness. The red robed guards stood in silent vigil, and Luke acknowledged them before turning to face the Emperor and kneeling.

"Rise, my young friend." The Emperor commanded, and Luke rose to his feet. "Come, sit with me."

Luke moved to sit beside the Emperor, his back straight and shoulders square.

"Tell me of your time at the Academy this semester."

"I enjoyed this semester, my lord master." Luke began. "My classes were a bit harder this time around, but I tried my best to earn good marks."

"And did you?" The Emperor asked quietly.

"Yes, I did earn top scores in all classes."

"Well done." He commended. "And what of your time spent in the simulators?"

"That was the best part!" Luke could no longer contain his enthusiasm. "The sims this time were a lot harder than ever before. We actually got to simulate flying into an asteroid field! It was wizard! Even if the odds against flying successfully though an asteroid field were 378 million to one!"

"You have done well, my young friend." He congratulated, resting a hand on Luke's shoulder in momentary praise. "And yet I sense that is not all you wished to speak with me about."

"You knew about that?" Luke sucked in a deep breath. "I am sorry, my lord. I did not wish to burden you with my troubles."

"You are concerned about your training rotation aboard Vader's ship." The Emperor intoned solemnly.

"Yes, my lord." Luke felt his shoulders slump despite his best effort to hide his worries. "Is there something I have done incorrectly, my lord? Have I displeased you in some way?"

"You desire another assignment?" The Emperor asked mildly. Luke shot to his feet and bowed, deeply.

"Not at all, my lord! I only worry for my mother. She will be worried when she learns where I have been assigned. I don't want to make her fall ill again." Luke remained standing, his blue eyes cast to the floor. The Emperor watched him quietly for a few minutes, before extending a hand.

"Come here, my young friend." Luke reluctantly moved to stand before him. The Emperor's gnarled hand reached out to lift his chin, studying him intensely. Luke met his gaze fearlessly, and after a long moment of silence, the Emperor released him and slowly got to his feet.

"You will accompany me." He ordered, and made his way to an antechamber with Luke dutifully following behind. The room was dimly lit, and the Emperor made his way to the dais set near a window and sank down onto a throne. Somewhere behind him the door slid closed and plunged the room into darkness. Luke moved to stand before him, standing at parade rest with his hands laced behind his back. The Emperor leaned forward suddenly, and motioned for Luke to come nearer. He snatched Luke's hand and turned it so it lay palm up, and then pressed a button on the arm of his throne to reveal a lightsaber handle. Luke stared at it hungrily, and then blinked in surprise when the Emperor pressed it into his palm. Curling his fingers about the handle, Luke was surprised to find it was not smooth as he imagined it to be, but etched with tiny knicks, as though it had seen many battles. Luke longed to bring his other hand up to the handle, to press the switch and put the blade through its motions.

"How old are you now, Luke?" he asked suddenly.

"Ten, my lord." Luke answered without hesitation.

"And how many of your years have been spent in formal education?"

"Nearly six."

"Tell me, boy, what do you know of the Jedi?"

"They were power hungry. They destroyed the Old Republic with their sorcerers' ways and now they are extinct."

"Very good. I trust you know what this is?"

"Yes, my lord. Lightsabers were the weapons the Jedi used." The Emperor released his grip on Luke's hand, and motioned him back a step. Luke was delighted to find that the Emperor seemed to expect him to activate the blade, and after carefully turning it away from himself, he pressed the stud and the blade came to life. Holding it tight, Luke examined the ancient weapon carefully. The blade was a deep, vibrant red. It hummed faintly in his grip and he half expected the handle to heat up, but to his surprise the pommel remained cool.

"Wow." He whispered faintly. "Can I--?"

The Emperor cackled in laughter. "But of course."

Luke swung the blade in a long, delicious arc. The blade hummed loudly, until the buzzing seemed to fill his veins. Zigzagging, he stepped from side to side, pretending to strike out at an imaginary foe. He was a great Jedi knight—

The blade was wrenched from his hands abruptly, and Luke fell to the floor as his daydream ended abruptly. The Emperor was watching him, the pommel of the now extinguished lightsaber rested in his hand.

"What do you want, boy?" The Emperor asked suddenly, as he put the lightsaber back in the compartment he'd pulled it out of. Luke felt an inexplicable urge to try and take the blade back; he rose to his feet and stared longingly at it. Unable to stop himself, he even reached for it, and the Emperor laughed. Suddenly feeling ashamed, Luke hung his head.

"Did you like the power you felt?" The Emperor asked, although he made no move to return the blade. He fingered the ribs on the handle, and then pressed it down into the compartment. Luke nodded shyly, and returned to stand with his hands clasped behind him.

"Why?" he asked softly. "Why did you like it?"

"I.." Luke faltered, feeling suddenly afraid to answer the Emperor. "I was pretending I could be like a Jedi, my lord."

"Why would you want to be like a Jedi?" the Emperor's voice was low. "Was it because you felt powerful?"

"Yes, my lord. The Jedi were supposed to have power from a mystical energy field, and that's what I thought it would feel like." Luke admitted honestly. Now that the blade was out of sight, he felt calmer.

"Tell me, Luke. Tell me about this mystical energy field."

"I don't know much about it. But they were supposed to be able to draw from this energy field. It gave them their powers."

"What did they do with this power?"

"They were supposed to help others. They used it to fight."

"What would you do with this power?"

"I…" Luke swallowed uneasily. "I don't know."

"Would you serve the Empire?" he asked shrewdly, and Luke stood up straight.

"Yes, my lord!"

"Do you want the lightsaber?"

"To keep?" Luke felt the desire rise in him again, and he struggled to contain it. His fingers fairly itched to feel the pommel, and he clenched his hands into fists.

"It is yours, if you can reach in and take it." The Emperor promised. There was a strange smile playing about his lips. Luke started forward, only to find himself held fast. He blinked, and then squawked in protest.

"Reach, boy. See the lightsaber in your mind. You have only to think about wanting it, and it is yours."

Luke closed his eyes, visualizing the blade in his mind. The way the pommel thrummed in his hands, the way it felt when he twirled it in the air. In his mind's eye, Luke saw the button for the compartment. He reached for it, feeling the pressure of his thumb on the activator stud in the recesses of his mind. The lightsaber gleamed before him, the faint starlight reflecting off the metal casing. It called to him, the thrumming energy he'd felt from before washed over him. He felt powerful, desire washed over him and Luke answered the call. Without thinking, Luke extended his hand and called the blade. It flew from the compartment and landed in his hand so quickly that he did not have time to open his eyes before it clattered to the floor.

"Very good, boy. Very good."

Luke knelt to pick up the lightsaber. He clutched it tightly, running his fingers over the pommel.

"Thank you, my lord." Luke whispered.

"Do you feel fear now, boy, when you think of serving on the _Executor_?" The Emperor asked quietly. Luke considered it for a moment, feeling the reassuring weight of the blade in his hands.

"No, my lord."

"And why is that?"

"I don't know." Luke answered steadily.

"Is it because you now have a weapon to defend yourself against the likes of Darth Vader?" the Emperor was smiling; his yellow eyes were a glowing gold.

"I—no, my lord. I could never expect to be able to combat someone as powerful as Lord Vader." Luke floundered uncertainly. The lightsaber did make him feel stronger, but he was only a boy. Lord Vader was rumored to have once been a powerful Jedi. He still seemed to retain his power from the mystical energy field. Luke felt fear rise in him, he hugged the blade close and struggled to sort out his feelings. The Emperor waited, patiently. "I hope to serve my rotation in a way that will please Lord Vader so he doesn't—"

"Doesn't what?"

"doesn't choke me." Luke whispered, and to his shame, tears pricked his eyes. He blinked them away, rapidly, and clenched his hands into fists. "My mother would be most upset if Lord Vader killed me. Forgive me, my lord, but you might lose two servants to the Empire. Myself and Lord Vader. I know my mother would kill him." Luke declared boldly, and to his surprise, the Emperor laughed.

"Very good, boy. Very good." The Emperor motioned Luke close once more and reached out a hand to pat his arm. "You worry yourself unnecessarily, young Luke. I would never hear of you suffering at Vader's hands."

"I know, and I'm sorry for not believing you would keep me from harm, my lord." Luke began, only to pause when the Emperor reached out and took the blade from Luke's grasp. Drawing in a deep breath, Luke froze as the Emperor activated the blade and stared at it thoughtfully.

"This was once Vader's lightsaber, did you know that?" he asked suddenly. Luke furrowed his brow thoughtfully. Truthfully, he'd never bothered to consider where it might have come from.

"No, my lord, I didn't." Luke watched, transfixed, as the Emperor lazily twirled it around and around. "Did he not want it any more?" Luke asked absently, as the Emperor deactivated it and tossed it back to him.

"He had no more use for it."

"No use?" Luke caressed the pommel lovingly before clipping it to his belt. "Why wouldn't he want to use it any more?"

"It is a bit difficult for a lightsaber to find much use when the man who made it no longer exists." The Emperor admitted, and Luke turned to stare at him in confusion.

"My lord?" he stammered in confusion.

"What do you know of your father, Luke?"

"My father? He was a navigator on a spice freighter."

"So that's what your mother has told you?" The Emperor cackled. "No doubt she was only trying to spare you pain." He soothed at Luke's angry expression. "Your father was once a Jedi knight. One of the greatest the Jedi order had ever known."

Luke was floored. He unclipped the blade and studied it, thoughtfully. A Jedi, indeed.

"What happened to him?"

"He was thought to be murdered by a young Darth Vader. Or so I thought. Shortly after you were born, he proved himself very much alive. The few Jedi who remain are hiding him from you, and your sister and mother. They want to keep you all apart."

"Why?" Luke demanded. A longing awoke in him suddenly, a desire to meet his real father.

"I do not know their intentions. I cannot fathom of any reason a father should be kept from his son." The Emperor mused. "I am sorry to be the one to tell you all this, Luke."

"No, I'm glad you're telling me." Luke struggled to think through his tumultuous feelings. "What happened to Vader, though?"

"Your father dealt him a grievous blow. Vader is little more than a myth, now. He is a way to keep the outer systems in line. They fear Vader, and they fear the Empire. It is a matter of politics." The Emperor seemed almost lost in his musings for a moment, but then turned his attention back to Luke, who seemed lost himself.

"You will have to forgive an old man, Luke. I had not realized the time." The Emperor rose to his feet, and moved to stand before the window. "You are dismissed." He said softly, and Luke dropped to one knee for a moment before rising again.

"Thank you, my lord." He said solemnly.

It was late at night when Luke returned to his mother's residence. He snuck through silent halls to the privacy of his chambers. He readied himself for bed and reverently laid his lightsaber on the headboard before he slipped beneath the covers. Lying back in the pillows, he thought back through everything the Emperor had told him. About the Jedi. His father. Nearly asleep, he contemplated his father's duel with Darth Vader. A grievous blow, the Emperor had said. That was weird enough. Yawning, Luke turned to lie on his stomach and his eyes sought the reassuring curves of the lightsaber on the headboard above him. Strangely, he had never heard whether Vader lived or died in that duel.

Maybe even the Emperor had no way of knowing.


	6. Chapter 6

Sabe moved quickly down the corridors to the main stairwell. In the chaos of the previous evening, she had forgotten to request a replacement for Kinlaee. The girl had actually been tasked with caring for the High Chancellor, which freed Sabe up to mind the children. She would have to request someone from Naboo to replace the girl as soon as possible. But for the moment, Sabe herself would have to manage the children as well as their mother. The young clone trooper acknowledged her breathless arrival by cycling the pressure door open, and Sabe scurried inside. She brought the lights up to half-day and made her way to her mistress' bedside.

Amidala looked a great deal improved from the day before. Her color was better; she appeared to be more comfortable than she had been in some time. Sabe couldn't help but smile, she was hopelessly tangled in the leads coming off the monitors. One arm was completely tethered to her body. Sabe chuckled quietly, and Amidala opened one eye to glare at her.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"You, milady. Why did you not call for assistance?" Sabe smirked as she began to disconnect the wires. Amidala's eyes widened in sudden comprehension, and then she laughed.

"I didn't even know I was so mired." She admitted.

"Oh?" Sabe freed her arm quickly, and Amidala sat up, rubbing at her wrist to bring the circulation back to it.

"I must have been out." She murmured, her mood sobering as she began remembering what had happened the day before. "Where are the children?" she asked suddenly.

"They're fine." Sabe soothed, pulling the leads on all the monitors. She seemed as though she was well enough to get up for the day, and there was no point in monitoring her when it was unnecessary. "Leia is still abed, and Luke made it back in late last night."

"Did he enjoy his visit with the Emperor?" Amidala asked absently, as she pushed the blankets back and slid her feet to the floor.

"I have not spoken with him, he came in quite late. Just after 0300." Sabe moved to stand before her mistress and held her hands out. Amidala grasped them and slowly climbed to her feet. When Sabe was certain her legs would hold her, she grasped her houserobe and slid it about her. In truth, Sabe had been unable to sleep. She had lain awake for hours, watching the security cams for Luke's return.

"He seemed pleased, from what I could see on the vidscreen." Sabe told her, as she slid an arm about Amidala's waist and helped her begin her shuffle to the fresher.

"Where is Kinlaee?" Amidala asked suddenly, and came to an abrupt halt. Sabe cringed, but spoke carefully.

"She is no longer in your service, my lady. She was declared a traitor to the Empire when she accused the Emperor of impeding your healing."

"That's right.." Amidala whispered. She shook her head as though to dispel the lingering cloudiness from her illness. "Will you request someone from Naboo?"

"Yes, my lady. I will do so immediately. Is there anyone you would prefer to name?" Sabe managed to coerce Amidala into moving forward once more, and guided her into the fresher. "Will you need any help this morning, milady?"

"No." Amidala grasped the sink and shuffled forward. "I will manage. Would you lay out something for me to wear? I would prefer something comfortable as I expect to be on my feet most of the day."

"Where are you going, milady?" Sabe asked in confusion. She expected her mistress to perhaps take up her duties in her office for a few hours. But it didn't sound as though she intended to work from home…

"I might have been ill these recent weeks, but that does not mean I have not been monitoring the situation with the Rebellion. The Emperor has spoken with me, and the situation is getting out of hand." Amidala's eyes flashed coldly, and her spine seemed to stiffen. "We must get the senate to agree on a course of action that will enable us to wipe out the rebels once and for all."

The sun was high in the sky when Luke finally woke. He lay drowsily in bed, basking in the warmth. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up and reached behind him to grasp the lightsaber handle and brought it close to his eye to inspect it in the light of day. It hadn't been a dream! The Emperor _had_ given him the lightsaber as his very own.

"Luke!" Leia's high pitched voice called to him from out in the hall, and Luke hurriedly slid from the bed and pulled on his houserobe before stumbling to the door. He quickly shoved the lightsaber in his pocket and pulled the robe closed about himself. He pressed the door switch and found Leia waiting impatiently for him.

"Took you long enough." She told him irritably.

"Sorry." Luke muttered, though he wasn't sorry at all.

"Sabe says to get dressed. We're going with Mother today."

"Where are we going? Mother is in no condition to be—"

"The Emperor healed her, Luke. Surely he told you she was better?"

Luke thought back to their long conversation. He hadn't said anything, but then, was it possible that he expected Luke to just sense it? "No." he admitted. "We didn't talk about it."

Leia stared at him for a moment, and he met her gaze steadily.

"She's going before the senate today." Leia said finally. "She thought that perhaps the Emperor might come before them as well."

"Why?"

"Just go get dressed." Leia threw her hands up in despair. "You'll learn it all soon enough." Muttering to herself, Leia turned and stormed back down the hallway. His mind whirling, Luke threw himself back into his room and hurried into the fresher. Yet even as he showered, and readied himself for the day, his lightsaber was never further than ten centimeters away.

Sabe was grateful that Leia had inherited her mother's inherent bossiness. For the child's tender years, she was very astute when it came to the matters of running a household. She had quickly organized the staff to accompany the High Chancellor to the senate, leaving Sabe the time to prepare Amidala herself. Despite her near miraculous recovery, she was still weak. She had managed to shower and ready herself in the fresher, but she needed a great deal of assistance to walk back to the bed to get dressed. Sabe longed for Amidala to stay abed at least one more day to recover her strength, but that didn't seem likely. Leia had even gotten Luke up and moving, and amazingly, both children were waiting for them at the foot of the stairs when Sabe carefully helped her mistress make her way down to her waiting transport.

"Good morning, mama." Leia greeted cheerfully. The child had dressed herself; she looked radiant in a little white gown with a wispy silver ribbon threaded about her waist. Luke was dressed in a black jumpsuit with a fitted Academy tunic. Smiling up at his mother, he offered her his arm and she took it, leaning down as she did so to press a kiss to his forehead.

"Good morning, mama." He said. "Are you feeling better?" he asked solicitously.

"Yes, I am." Amidala was smiling mirthfully as she tousled Luke's hair. "And I am grateful that you can both accompany me today. Although I do have some important matters to take care of, I hope to be able to spend a little time with you today."

"Of course, mama." Luke smiled. He urged his mother to lean on him and he helped her forward. Her gait was a bit unsteady, but she seemed determined. Sabe slowly relinquished her mistress' elbow, for Luke was a sturdy boy and he supported his mother's slight, quaking frame with little effort. Leia quickly took Sabe's hand, and she smiled down on the girl.

"You look beautiful, Leia." Sabe told her, and delighted in the way the child's eyes lit up.

"Thank you."

"Are you excited to go to the Senate?" Sabe asked as she guided them out into the courtyard of the residence, where a speeder escort awaited them. Luke was relinquishing his mother's hand to General Typho, who helped her up into the speeder. Luke smiled as the General turned to lift Leia up, and then the boy offered his own hand to Sabe.

"Thank you, Luke." She fondly tucked a lock of his errant hair back and moved to step up into the speeder when she saw it hanging from his belt.

A lightsaber.

With an intensity she herself hadn't expected she pushed Luke back quickly from the doorway and shoved him into the fuselage of the speeder. Typho gaped at her and Sabe knelt quickly and put both her hands on his shoulders.

"Where did you get that?" she demanded in a loud whisper. "Where did you find it, Luke?" Luke looked stunned, Sabe was reaching for the saber to examine it, but he flailed wildly and pushed her away. His eyes were wild; he cradled the lightsaber to his chest protectively.

"It's mine!" he shouted furiously. "You can't have it!"

Sabe struggled to bring her own raging emotions under control. Where had he gotten it? Did he know what it even was?

"Luke, I'm sorry." Sabe took a deep breath. Some of the anger left the boy's eyes, but he still watched her warily. "I am sorry."

"The Emperor gave it to me." Luke said defiantly. "He said it belonged to my father."

Sabe felt her blood freeze and drain from her face at the same time. "Luke, we don't have time for this." She reached for him, and sighed, deeply, when the boy skittered out of reach. "Your mother will be wondering where we are. You need to put it away, Luke. I don't want you to let her see it."

"Why?" Luke asked softly. His blue eyes were filled with confusion.

"It hurts her to think of your father." Sabe told him softly.

"She lied to us." Luke hissed angrily. "She said he was dead, but he's not. The Emperor said he was alive. She lied to us."

"Luke. We do not have time for this. We need to leave, now." Sabe said firmly. "We will discuss this later. For now," she bit her lip anxiously, "just keep it out of her sight. Please?" Sabe pleaded, and after a moment, Luke tucked the saber deep into his tunic and eyed her.

"Thank you." She said quietly. She held out a hand, and Luke took it warily.

"Not a word of this to your mother. Not now. She has enough on her mind." Sabe cautioned. Luke nodded woodenly as he climbed up into the speeder and settled beside his sister. Leia eyed her brother silently; some innate sense told her that their delay had not been coincidental. Amidala, too, eyed them surrepitously from her seat near the window. Sabe gave her mistress a slight nod as she settled beside Luke.  
"Is everything all right?" Amidala asked after a strained moment.

"Yes." Luke said softly. "Everything is fine."


	7. Chapter 7

The Imperial senate was much the same as the Old Republic's senate. Despite the events surrounding the Emperor's rise to power some ten years before, there had been no real change in the senate's power-or pitfalls-from over a decade before. As their speeders began to taxi for a landing on the High Chancellor's private landing pad, Leia shifted out of her lap belt to peer out the window.

"Leia, sit down please." Sabe prompted. Luke was trying to do the same, and she touched his knee gently. "You too."

"I cannot imagine that you would be that excited to see the outside of the senate building." Amidala teased, and Leia giggled. Luke looked stoic.

"I can't wait to see the inside!" Leia bubbled.

"I can." Luke muttered.

"How are you feeling, milady?" Sabe asked, and Amidala smiled.

"Well enough. I feel stronger every moment." She said softly.

The speeders touched down, and somewhere outside, the security forces moved to secure the site. When Typho was certain that all was well, he opened the door to their speeder himself and helped first Luke, then Leia out. The children stood quietly side by side, smiling at the Holonet news cameras. Countless throngs of reporters and cameras were lining the far side of the platform in the press section. They shouted to the children, and Leia mugged it up, curtseying angelically and waving to the media. Luke rolled his eyes.

"I don't know how you can stand that." Luke told her through gritted teeth.

"Oh, I don't know." Leia said airily. "I kind of like it."

"You would." Luke shifted to cross his arms.

"What's the matter with you?" Leia asked quietly.

"Nothing."

"All right, you two." Sabe cautioned. "We're coming out. Big smiles, please."

Sabe stepped from the speeder, and offered Amidala her hand. Typho, too, offered the High Chancellor his hand and they helped her down the steps.

"Are you all right?" Sabe asked quietly.

"Yes," Amidala sounded breathless but looked game, "let's go."

Luke stepped forward and offered his elbow to his mother. Amidala smiled, and slowly shifted away from Typho to take her son's arm. "Thank you, Luke."

"You're welcome, mama."

Luke held his head up proudly as he helped his mother toward the entrance of the senate rotunda. Sabe took Leia's hand and squeezed it gently. The reporters were shouting at them, asking the High Chancellor's health; about the children's presence, and the ever increasing acts of violence perpetuated by the rebellion. Luke ignored them all as he guided his mother into the relative silence of the senate hall.

Luke had been within the halls of the senate but twice in his life. He clung to his mother's hand as she subtly guided him to the left, then the right, and the left again as she made her way to the center of the hall. Their small party of Imperial troops and security forces funneled them through the crowds of senators and foreign dignitaries that stood, watching them wordlessly.

"Mama?" Leia asked from somewhere in the throng.

"Yes, Leia?" she asked absently. Lifting a small hand, she pointed quietly to the service lift that would take them to the platform. Luke nodded, and helped her along.

"Can Luke and I come sit with you?" she asked.

"I don't see why not." Amidala paused for a moment to smile at her children. "But you must remain quiet at all times."

"Yes, mama." Both children chorused. As they made their way up to the service platform, Luke came to a standstill. He craned his head back, closing his eyes. Sabe touched the back of his head gently, and knelt before him. His eyes opened, unseeing for a moment, and then the boy seemed to come back to himself.

"Luke? Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine." He whispered mutely. "I.." he blinked rapidly, his mouth worked reflexively. "The Emperor is here."

"How do you know—" Sabe started to ask, but the boy was quickly moving beyond her grasp.

"I can feel his presence. I can't explain it." Luke mumbled. His pace quickened, his legs carrying him up the steps and out of sight. Leia stared after her brother in shock before silently taking Sabe's hand and joining her mother as the lift made its way to the senate floor.

"Mama?" Leia asked softly. "Are you scared to be in front of so many people?"

"No, sweetheart."Amidala was preoccupied. She, too, had seen Luke's hurried ascent to the senate floor and she seemed as bewildered as the rest of them. As they reached the surface, she could see Luke bowing low before the Emperor. Mimicking him, Amidala curtseyed before him.

"Rise, my dear friend." The Emperor ordered. He offered his hand to the High Chancellor, who kissed it fondly. "I am glad to see you are well."

"I owe my health to you, your majesty." She told him warmly.

"My lord?" Luke asked quietly. "May I ask a question?"

"Of course, boy."

Amidala was eyeing her son firmly. She had cautioned him repeatedly that the Emperor was a very busy man, and had no time for children. Sabe felt her heart leap into her throat. Luke had been acting very strangely where the Emperor was concerned. Between Luke's inexplicable behavior and the gifting of a lightsaber, Sabe feared what might come next.

"May I sit with you, if I am silent? I wish to learn more of the Empire's politics."

"Of course, boy." The Emperor made to take a seat with the members of his Imperial guard and he allowed the boy to sit beside him. Sabe kept a firm hold on Leia's hand as she guided them both to sit along an adjacent row of benches. Amidala's gaze lingered on Luke for a long moment before she turned to face the ever-present cameras of the Holonet.

"Good morning to you all." Amidala gripped the edges of her podium as she spoke. "I have come before you to decide on a course that will destroy the rebels once and for all."

The Holonet was as much of a mill for political propaganda as it had ever been. At least some things never changed, Obi-Wan mused. He half-watched the panels that ran the length of the spaceport boarding area as he slowly walked along. The High Chancellor herself was present for the re-opening of the Imperial Senate, as was the Emperor. The Holonet commentator was droning on in the background on how auspicious it was that the Emperor himself would grace the senate with his presence.

The High Chancellor was gripping the podium with both small hands. She was speaking in the formal, stilted tones that Obi-Wan knew so well. She was requesting the support of the senate in sanctioning Imperial forces to roust the rebels from all corners of the galaxy. _You cannot repress the desire to be free, my lady,_ Obi-Wan thought darkly. _ You of all people should remember that._ Frowning, he shook his head slightly as he shifted the handle of his bag from one hand to the other, taking care to flex and shake out his fingers as though he had a cramp. It paid to be cautious. One never knew who might be watching.

There was a reason Obi-Wan Kenobi had never taken to politics. As a younger man, he'd harbored a strong dislike for all politicians. Were it not for his own situation as an outlawed and vaunted Jedi, he might have found some perverse humor in Palpatine's deception and his rise to power some ten years earlier. The man had played the entire galaxy and maneuvered himself into position as Emperor. He had systemically plotted against the peoples of the Old Republic, manipulating countless leaders and star systems into aiding his rise to power. He had ordered the invasion of his own homeworld, slaughtered hundreds of thousands of Gungans and sacrificed his own people to gain the chair of the Supreme Chancellor. He had orchestrated the cloning of troops on Kamino, moved his troops throughout the galaxy to put down the rebelling Separatists—who had been in reality the only systems who might have been able to stop his bid for power. He had orchestrated his own kidnapping to gain sympathy, sacrificed his own apprentice in his bid for another--.

Obi-Wan sighed softly as he neared a series of padded benches along the wall. Selecting a seat with some distance from the door, he sank gratefully into the plush and let his bags fall to the floor. He turned back to the monitor just as the Holonet feed seemed to shift from the High Chancellor's passionate speech about putting a stop to the rebels' to that of her children. Inexplicably, both children were present. Obi-Wan studied them thoughtfully, they were alike, and not. Their gifts were uniquely suited to each of them. Leia Amidala seemed very much like her mother. She was watching the proceedings with a sharp eye, seeming to miss nothing that went on. Luke, on the other hand, was leaning back against his seat. His eyes were hooded. The boy seemed as though he wanted to fidget, although he kept his hands clasped together. Obi-Wan recognized his expression. It was the same look Obi-Wan had so often seen in his father as a boy, when he had been bored with ongoing council meetings. He craved adventure and excitement. Not a tedious senate meeting. Obi-Wan watched closely as the camera panned up to show the Emperor whispering something into Luke's ear. He shuddered in revulsion, unable to stop himself no matter who might have been watching. The boy nodded at whatever the Emperor said, and reached up with a small hand to push aside the black tunic and reveal a slender, silvery handle. Rising to his feet suddenly, Obi-Wan tripped over his bags on the floor as he threw himself at the closest monitor to stare at it closely. Peering intently at the screen, Obi-Wan could plainly make it out as a lightsaber handle. But where had the boy gotten it from? And more importantly, why did he have need of one? Was it a trophy, a gift from an indulgent, kindly old man trying to impress the boy? Or did the Emperor intend for the child to do something with it?

The Emperor smiled broadly, and the boy slid his tunic over the handle, obscuring it once more. With difficulty, Obi-Wan tore himself from the screen and stumbled back to his seat. The camera panned around again to the High Chancellor, who was still giving a resounding speech about the nature of the rebellion. Obi-Wan studied her for a few minutes, listening to the way she spoke, and watching the occasional looks she spared for her children. There was warmth in her eyes that contradicted the words she was speaking. The children, too, seemed to relax when they sensed she was looking at them. Not for the first time since their birth into a galaxy rife with death, Obi-Wan knew he needed to get the children away from the Emperor.

But for the first time, he actually had an idea on how to go about it.


	8. Teaser

I am sorry everyone. These last few weeks have been absolute chaos for me, and it will only get worse! I am not only a sci-fi geek ( and I mean that in the nicest way possible) but I am also a horse-nut. I own a very pregnant mare (283 days, yikes!) and she has begun to show signs of something being wrong...whether it is or isn't, very shortly I will have my hands full with a bouncing baby. (I hope). I promise to keep plugging away at my little fic...for now, I leave you with a smidgen of what is yet to come. A big post is in the works!

"Anakin! You cannot pretend that nothing happened! Burying the past does not erase it." Obi-Wan crossed the room in enormous strides and picked his former apprentice up off the couch forcibly. He held Anakin at arm's length for a moment, and then crushed him close in a hug. "I am sorry my friend. I am sorry for your pain, and for your loss. But think of this: your children are now in the Emperor's charge—"

"Padme would never let him hurt them. Never! She would die first." Anakin's eyes flashed wildly as he pushed away from Obi-Wan to pace the room.

"Would she? She is not your wife now, Anakin. Nor is she the idealistic senator she was ten years ago. Would she know if they were being manipulated? If she herself was?" Obi-Wan moved to block Anakin's path and forced the younger man to look up at him sharply.

"Ten years ago you were willing to sell your soul to that monster to keep your child safe. To spare your wife the agony of dying in childbirth. Will you not stand up to him now, to save your children from that fate? Will you not take a stand to rid the galaxy of this madman?" Obi-Wan watched as Anakin's face fell, and tears threatened. He turned and made his way to the window, running his hand over his scruffy beard; then brushed at his eyes and stared silently out into the approaching duststorm.

"We need your help, Anakin." Obi-Wan whispered. "She needs your help. I'm getting too old for this sort of thing."

"It's all so far away from here." Anakin began softly, fingering the frayed edges of his tunic.

"You sound like Owen." Obi-Wan couldn't resist pointing out.

"I can't get involved again. What's done is done, Obi-Wan." Anakin said flatly. "I can take you as far as Anchorhead. You can hitch a ride with your rebel friends to Alderaan or where ever you're going."

Obi-Wan sighed heavily, but nodded. "You must do what you feel is right, of course."


	9. Chapter 9

Hi everyone!

Tonight's update was actually finished on time due to a positive report on my horse(s). I won't bore you with the details, but I'm happy to say that I will still be devoting my time to baby in another couple months, when he/she is supposed to make their debut.

He had never liked Tatooine. Even after his first visit, he knew that he never could have imagined such a wretched hive of scum and villainy. But the one thing Obi-Wan despised more than the lowlife was the blasted sand. Grasping the handle of his bag, he slowly made his way down the ramp and sighed, deeply, as the wind from the south brought a wave of fine sand particles into his eyes.

"Ben?" a voice called, and Obi-Wan opened his eyes to find Owen Lars waiting patiently for him in his speeder. "Over here."

"Thanks for the ride." Obi-Wan offered as he dumped his bag into the speeder's rear seat. Owen waited until he slumped down in the seat next to him before starting the speeder and heading for the outskirts of town.

"No problem. I needed to pick up some parts anyway." Owen shaded his eyes to look at Obi-Wan carefully. "How was your trip?"

"Good. It was…nice to see a few old friends again." Obi-Wan raised his chin carefully to meet Owen's eyes. He indicated with his eyes that he didn't want to talk about it while there was a chance that some passer-by might overhear. Owen pursed his lips but nodded, and neither man spoke again until they were well out of Mos Eisley.

"So..who did you go to see?" Owen asked quietly.

"Did you leave the speeder at any time?" Obi-Wan asked sharply.

"No." Owen gave him an amused smile. "I didn't even get out of the seat. So what say you stop worrying about the Empire finding you out on this damn rock, and just tell me what happened?"

"Fine." Obi-Wan threw him an annoyed look, but settled back in his seat. "I met up with Bail Organa briefly."

"To do what?" Owen asked quietly.

"To discuss some things." Obi-Wan answered shortly.

"Like what?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

"Since I've been harboring known Jedi fugitives on my farm for almost nine years, I say it concerns me." Owen said coolly. For a moment, both men stared at each other intensely before Obi-Wan gave in.

"All right, all right." He grumbled. "I went to see Bail to discuss our concerns over the High Chancellor's expected reaction to the—"

"Damn it, Ben." Owen snapped. "It's always the High Chancellor with you. Her title, not her name. Me and Beru might be dirt-poor farmers from a backwater world, but even we know she's got a name. Hell, we met the woman once. But neither of you seems like to call her by anything but her title. Leaving it all formal doesn't change the fact that you knew her then."

"Fine." Obi-Wan ground out. "We met to discuss _Padme's_ reaction to the recent acts of rebellion. We also wanted to discuss the plans for the Rebellion's next move."

"And that is?" Owen asked eagerly.

"You got a lot of interest in the Rebellion for a man from a backwater world." Obi-Wan hedged.

"Got no one else to talk to when you're gone. Beru spends most of her time in the house unless I really need help. And Anakin—well, you know he doesn't talk too much these days."

"I suppose not." Obi-Wan looked uncomfortable for a moment, and then noticed that Owen was bringing them into Tosche station. "What are we doing?"

"I told you I needed to pick up some parts. Figured I'd wait til you were back so you could know that I didn't leave the speeder unattended for even one minute." Owen came to an abrupt stop in front of the junkyard and slid from his seat. "I got Wendek to pick out the parts I needed and set them aside for me. Won't be but a second."

Obi-Wan nodded for a moment, and leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. Owen asked a lot of questions, but the man was right. He did have the right to know. He'd taken them both in without question, and had hidden them ever since. Obi-Wan tried to help out as best he could around the moisture farm, tinkering with vaporators and helping to defend the farm whenever the Sand People had a mind to try and move in on it. He supposed Anakin was the reason Owen had taken them in in the first place. Although they'd only met the once, after Shmi had been killed; he was family in some way. And at least he was good at fixing things on the farm, Obi-Wan reasoned.

"Here we go." Owen chuckled as he flopped down in his seat again. "You asleep?"

"No." Obi-Wan opened his eyes as they left the small outpost and made their way out toward the Jundland wastes. "Just thinking."

"About?" Owen asked as he bumped the speeder up into a higher gear.

"I guess you got the right to ask about what I do."

"Damn right I do." Owen asserted. "So, what are you doing?"

"We didn't decide on anything, exactly." Obi-Wan confessed. "We tossed some ideas around. But the simple thing is that we could rebel against the Empire for a thousand years and never get anywhere. What we need is leverage."

"What kind of leverage?" Owen asked. "Like a weapon?"

"No, not weaponry." He gave the man beside him a shrewd look. "Did Anakin ever tell you how he was injured?"

"He's never said anything to me, Ben. You know that."

Obi-Wan sighed, deeply. "We fought. A duel to the death on Mustafar."

"That the volcano world I heard stories about?"

"Where'd you hear that?"

"In a cantina. But, go on."

"Anakin turned against the Jedi to follow the teachings of a Sith Lord. When I found out where he was, I snuck onto a shuttle and tracked him there. We fought, and he lost. He knew it. I couldn't just leave him, so I brought him to one of our old haunts on the rim. Those of us Jedi who were left were loosely congregated there, and I was able to find him a healer who could help."

Obi-Wan paused for a moment, and Owen waited, sensing that the story was not yet over. "Padme was lost to him. She thought him dead, and by then, the Emperor knew of her marriage to him, and that she was carrying his children. And he needed her. Needed her affluence to sway the remaining senators who might oppose him into his camp. So he took her." Owen nodded his understanding, and Obi-Wan paused again to take a sip of the water in his canteen. "The Emperor was the Sith lord. He wanted Anakin, but lost him in the end. So he took Padme. And he took her children. Anakin's children. They are as-yet untrained, but their power could easily rival his. As far as weapons go….The Empire's got all the good ones."

"You want to take the children away from them, don't you." Owen said softly.

"I've wanted to do just that for a long time now." Obi-Wan admitted. "But for what we need, one of them will do just fine. We need to even the odds."

"Do you hear what you're saying?" Owen demanded harshly. "They're children, not pawns, Ben!"

"I hear you. I know they're only children. But as of right now, if we do nothing, these children are already pawns in the grandest scheme in the galaxy. The twins will be the ones who suffer in the Emperor's delusions of grandeur. Their mother is lost to the Empire and Anakin has shut out the world. What hope do they have if we do nothing?"

Owen sighed. "This is the plan you were talking about with Bail Organa?"

"No, I didn't talk about it with Bail." Obi-Wan said softly. "We've talked about it in the past, but there was no way we were going to be able to waltz in and just take one of those children at such a young age. There was almost no point. We'd have needed to keep the child in hiding until we could raise it to an age where it could be trained in the ways of a Jedi."

"And now?" Owen hedged.

"The Force has its own will. It moves in its own time." Obi-Wan sighed.

"That's not an answer. No hokey religion controls my destiny." Owen retorted angrily. "Speak plainly.

"All right, I will. We weren't ready. The time wasn't right. The children are of an age where they can be taught. The Emperor has relaxed his guard somewhat. And Anakin has recovered from his injuries."

"What does Anakin have to do with it?" Owen disengaged the auto-pilot on the speeder as they slowly approached the farm. "Since he hasn't spoken to a soul in almost ten years, can't see how he'd be much help."

"Anakin's the only one who can pull it off." Obi-Wan offered distantly as Owen brought them to a stop in the courtyard. He slowly clambered out of the speeder and made his way toward his quarters in the shop. Owen watched him go before he called; "Dinner's in an hour, and if you got some time, I need to make a patrol around to the east end."

"I'll be there." Obi-Wan called back, and then disappeared into the relatively cool interior of the shop. He dropped his luggage on his cot and stripped off his traveling clothes to change into the relative comfort of his beige tunic and robe. It was as close as he dared get to his old Jedi robes. He spared a splash of water in the basin to wash his face of the grit from traveling in the speeder and then toweled dry. He considered briefly unpacking his bags, but changed his mind when a faint clanking began down in the shop. Turning, he slowly made his way out to where Anakin was intently examining the internal casing on one of the droids he'd taken apart.

"Hello, Anakin." He greeted. Anakin looked up at him briefly, and then returned to his work as though Obi-Wan had never spoken. It was always like that between them. Obi-Wan had at turns been mystified and then angry at Anakin's lack of response to him. He supposed at first that the boy had been trying to punish him for their duel and his subsequent injuries. But as the years had gone by, Obi-Wan had decided it was more that he didn't know what to say. In every instance, he'd simply turned away and let him go on about his business. But not today. For some unidentifiable reason, Obi-Wan found Anakin's silence unbearable.

"I saw your wife today." Obi-Wan announced, and watched as Anakin looked up at him sharply. His blue eyes narrowed, but he went back to work in silence without any other discernable reaction. "She looked as well as could be expected." Obi-Wan continued. "And the children, as well. Your son looks a lot like you. Your daughter resembles her mother."

Anakin was struggling to continue his work, his fingers skittered about the workbench and knocked down several small washers as Obi-Wan continued his speel. He knelt to pick them up and Obi-Wan knelt beside him. Anakin stood suddenly and backed away as Obi-Wan moved to pick up one of the washers that lay beside his hand. "Your son has been given an impressive gift, Anakin. A lightsaber. One can only guess what the Emperor might have been implying when gifting a lightsaber to a ten year old."

Anakin walked away from the workbench and threw himself moodily onto the couch. He bent over, leaning forward to put his elbows on his knees and covering his eyes. He folded in on himself, expressing his desire to not communicate any further. On some level, Obi-Wan felt sorry for him. But beneath his gentle exterior burned a seething anger. It was Anakin's inability to communicate that had gotten them into such a mess in the first place. It had been his padawan's irascible temper, his impetuousness, his reckless, unfettered behavior that had caused a rift. Prompted him to wed. Hastened his fall. After ten years and a life-changing duel, Obi-Wan's own anger and grief had more or less spent itself. But beneath his façade a simmering anger remained. They had run the gamut together from one end of the galaxy to the other. There were no places left to hide.

Nothing should be left hidden between them.

He flopped down to sit beside Anakin. Their knees touched but nothing more. After a moment's silence, Obi-Wan went on. He shared the tale of the Emperor's close relationship with his son. Padme's lingering illness. His daughter's beauty. How he had seen Anakin's old lightsaber hidden in Luke's robes…

"Enough, Obi-Wan." Anakin whispered faintly. His voice was little more than a rasp, unused in the last ten years. His eyes were dull and expressionless; where once they had twinkled in merriment or darkened in rage nothing remained. No life. No hope. In the years they had known one another Obi-Wan had seen him despondent. Seen him in rage, resentment and sorrow. But he had never grown accustomed to Anakin's apathy.

"Why are you doing this?" he whispered so softly that Obi-Wan almost didn't hear him. His lips moved, but no sound emerged. His body lived, but his spirit had fled. Obi-Wan felt his own spirit quail. If Anakin had not the strength to finish what he had started, then what chance did they have?

"You need to finish it, Anakin." Obi-Wan said sternly. He sensed more than felt Anakin's wary blue eyes snap up to his face. "Just because you stopped being Palpatine's apprentice does not mean that the evil ended there."

"It doesn't matter." Anakin muttered softly as he dropped his gaze to the arm of the couch and began tracing the washed out floral print.

Obi-Wan sighed aloud in exasperation. "It _does_ matter, a great deal." He countered. "Your wife—your children, hell, the entire galaxy is being manipulated by the Emperor. He's butchering non-humans, Anakin. Just like the Jedi. Would you just stand by and let him have his way?" Obi-Wan paced the room anxiously, whirling about to face Anakin imperiously when he offered no further comment on the matter. His former apprentice had slouched down to lean his head on the back of the couch. Fueled by the anger he had long desired to give into, Obi-Wan clenched and unclenched his hands for a moment before he crossed the room in enormous strides and picked his padawan up off the couch and forcibly pushed him up against the wall.

"Anakin! You cannot pretend that nothing happened! Burying the past does not erase it." He held Anakin at arm's length for a moment, and then crushed him close in a hug. "I am sorry my friend. I am sorry for your pain, and for your loss. But think of this: your children are now in the Emperor's charge—he will use them to further his Empire. And when he is done with them, he will kill them. They are _your_ children, Anakin. If you will not stand for them, who will?" he demanded breathlessly. "Your wife has all but sentenced them to a life of slavery."

Anakin had not stuggled to free himself, but had stood limply pressed against the wall. He looked up suddenly when Obi-Wan mentioned slavery, and his face hardened.

"Padme would never let him hurt them. Never! She would die first." Anakin's eyes flashed in fury, but not before Obi-Wan thought he saw a look of uncertainty cross his features.

"Would she? She is not your wife now, Anakin. Nor is she the idealistic senator she was ten years ago. Would she know if they were being manipulated? If she herself was?" Obi-Wan moved to block Anakin's path as he tore himself free and began to pace the room. Stepping in front of him, he forced the younger man to look up at him sharply.

"Ten years ago you were willing to sell your soul to that monster to keep your child safe. To spare your wife the agony of dying in childbirth. Will you not stand up to him now, to save your children from that fate? Will you not take a stand to rid the galaxy of this madman?" Obi-Wan watched as Anakin's face fell, and tears threatened. He turned and made his way to the window, running his hand over his scruffy beard; then brushed at his eyes and stared silently out into the approaching duststorm.

"We need your help, Anakin." Obi-Wan whispered. "I'm getting too old for this sort of thing."

"It's all so far away from here." Anakin began softly, fingering the frayed edges of his tunic.

"You sound like Owen." Obi-Wan couldn't resist pointing out.

"I can't get involved again. What's done is done, Obi-Wan." Anakin said flatly. "I can take you as far as Anchorhead. You can hitch a ride with your rebel friends to Alderaan or where ever you're going." Anakin met his eyes briefly before he turned on his heel and all but ran from the room. Obi-Wan sighed before whispering softly into the silence; "You must do what you feel is right, of course."

It was hours later when Anakin came to seek him out. Obi-Wan had accompanied Owen on a perimeter inspection and they had repaired one of the vaporators on the east side. Dinner had been a silent affair, with Anakin nowhere to be found. And later, when Owen and Beru had gone to bed Obi-Wan had offered to sit on watch, since the Sand People had been reported in the area. Obi-Wan had just taken up the guard and huddled in his robes on the chair outside the main compound when he sensed his former padawan emerge from the doorway behind him. Anakin moved silently and sank down to sit in the sand beside him. He leaned back and turned his face up to stare at the sky. Obi-Wan said nothing, sensing in Anakin a desire to speak. They sat in the chill for some time, neither moving nor speaking until at last Anakin moved to break the silence.

"I hate the sand," he began faintly, "it's coarse and irritating. And it gets into everything." To demonstrate, he picked up a handful and let it slip through his fingers. "I spent all of my childhood learning how to get the sand out of things and to make them work right. And then you, and Qui-Gon, and Padme came into my life, and I sort of forgot that to make things work right, sometimes you need to take them apart and clean all the sand out." Anakin let the last grains of sand slide from his cupped hands and inspected them carefully.

"Are you going to help us?" Obi-Wan asked quietly.

"What do you want from me?" Anakin whispered. "You want me to go back there, and face him? Fight my fear and win, is that what you want? I can't face her, knowing what—" Anakins voice broke unsteadily. "what I did."

"I don't want you to face Palpatine at all." Obi-Wan chuckled. "I don't have any grandiose plans of facing off with the Emperor. We'll confront him when the time is right."

"Then what is it you want me to do?" Anakin asked.

"I think it's high time we reunited you with your family."

"My family—?"

"We're going to have to face up to the fact that Palpatine intends to train your son in the ways of the Sith." Obi-Wan shifted to set his blaster rifle down in the dirt and then leaned back in his chair comfortably. "We're going to need to take your children away from the Emperor's influence if we are to have a chance of striking at him."

"You think we should just waltz in there and take them away? Just like that?" Anakin asked in disbelief. "It can't be done."

"That's why we'll need your help. You know the Emperor better than anyone else." Obi-Wan put a hand on Anakin's shoulder to soften his words.

"Tell me, what do you know of Darth Vader?"

Anakin stiffened beneath Obi-Wan's hand, his face was awash in emotion. For a moment, he feared Anakin would get to his feet and leave, never to speak to him again. And when Anakin started to shake, he feared something was terribly wrong.

"Anakin, what's wrong?" he demanded. His padawan flopped bonelessly onto his back in the sand and wrapped his arms about his belly. After a moment or two of silence, Obi-Wan found he was most unprepared for what happened next.

Anakin started laughing.


	10. Chapter 10

Well, here we are again..another measly post. But I figure tis better to offer this one smidgen of postling than nothing at all. Many thanks to my cousin who beta'd for me.. ) I needed some feedback on a snow day!

Anakin's laughter echoed dully from the adobe walls of the compound before it faded. Obi-Wan shifted in his chair and leaned forward expectantly, deliberately catching Anakin's eye. He raised an eyebrow in silent query, but did not ask again. Anakin sat up soberly, folding his knees and leaning his elbows on them. A thoughtful expression slowly overtook his roguish grin as he struggled to find the words to answer Obi-Wan's question.

"What do I know of Darth Vader?" Anakin smiled even as he asked it, though the smile did not linger. "I know many things about Vader. But to be honest, I'm amazed that Vader is still reputed to exist."

"He serves aboard the _Executor_ right now." Obi-Wan told him. "Do you know him?"

"Of course I know him." Anakin said simply. "He's me. Or rather, the servant the Emperor desired me to become. More machine than man; twisted and evil."

Obi-Wan nodded silently, waiting for Anakin to continue.

"I knew you had taken on the name at the time.." Obi-Wan said softly, but stopped himself when Anakin started to speak.

"The Emperor intended for me to follow his teachings," Anakin began, "and at the time, I was eager to learn them. He promised me that they would save—" Anakin paused and then went on, though his voice was choked with emotion. "Vader was the name I took when I became his apprentice."

"So if you are no longer bound to him, then why does Vader still exist?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I wasn't supposed to live. At least, not as I am now. I believe that he intended for me to die." Anakin said flatly, turning to look Obi-Wan in the eye. Obi-Wan met his gaze steadily, and took heart in the way his padawan held his gaze. Their fight had nearly destroyed him, and yet; something had awakened in his apprentice that day. Despite the extensive injuries, the burns, the damage to his lungs; the depth of Anakin's strength had been unimaginable. It was as though having reached the boundary between life and death, he had been unable to go any further.

"What of Vader?" Obi-Wan asked, desperate to keep Anakin on the subject.

"Had I only been able to receive treatment in a Republic facility, I would not have healed so well." Anakin said softly. "It was not only my physical injuries that would have festered, but my spirit as well. I think the Emperor wanted me broken in body and in spirit." Anakin swallowed distastefully. "As you put it, a slave."

"So Vader, as he is now?"

"Little more than a myth, I imagine. A tool." Anakin chuckled mirthlessly. "A tale to frighten all good citizens of the Empire, and to keep the rebels guessing."

"A legend?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I have no doubt that the Emperor will seek another apprentice someday." Anakin looked uncomfortable.

"Your son." Obi-Wan said softly, and watched as Anakin's expression hovered somewhere between pride and anguish.

"I would assume so." Anakin admitted.

"We need your help, Anakin." Obi-Wan repeated softly.

"I don't see what it is you want me to do. To help kidnap the children? To destroy the Emperor? You don't know what he made me do, Obi-Wan. He took everything I was…he used me to kill.." Anakin's voice was choked with tears, a sob burst from him unexpectedly. "I thought I could stop.. I should have been able to stop him. I wasn't strong enough …I wasn't good enough!" his voice failed him, and he shifted onto his back. He studied the sky through tear filled eyes. "I should have been able to stop him."

"It wasn't just him, you know." Obi-Wan stirred from his chair and settled himself stiffly beside his padawan. "I saw it in your eyes on Mustafar. You wanted the power as much as he wanted you." Obi-Wan had withheld that observation from his apprentice for many years. But to hear Anakin speak so freely of it gave him the strength to voice it.

"Yes, I did." Anakin admitted faintly.

"What about now?" Obi-Wan asked sharply. "Do you still want it?"

"I wanted so many things then."Anakin said softly. "I wanted to go up into space and journey to every world just to see what it was like. I wanted to have a wife, and a family, like I never had before."

"You had all of that, Anakin. And it wasn't enough. You wanted more. But I'm not sure what it is you thought you were missing. Do you know what it is? Can you name it?" Obi-Wan reached out to put a steadying hand on Anakin's shoulder.

"No, I can't." he sighed shakily.

"What about now? What do you want now?"

"I want it to go back to the way it was, when it was just Padme and me. And we were just people expecting a child. I want to forget about the Emperor. I want him to forget about me."

"This is going to be with you for the rest of your life. Nothing just goes away. You'll have to learn to live with it." Obi-Wan said. "You have a simple choice. You can stay here and hide in the sand, or you can come with me to Coruscant." Obi-Wan got to his feet and dusted himself off. Out on the horizon, Tatoo I was beginning to rise. Anakin lifted his head slowly and blinked up at Obi-Wan in the gray light of dawn.

"What will you do if I don't go along?" Anakin asked.

"Plans will be set in motion." Obi-Wan said simply. "Something must be done. Evil cannot be left to endure."

Anakin remained seated for a moment, studying him intently. After a long moment, he reached up a hand and grasped Obi-Wan's tightly. His mechanical fingers were icy cold from the chill of the long night, but his grip was firm. Obi-Wan helped him to his feet and tried to release his hand, only to find Anakin still held it clasped in his own.

"I will go with you to Coruscant." He said finally. "For the children. But don't expect much good to come of it." Anakin released his hand then and walked away slowly. Obi-Wan shook his head as he took up his blaster rifle and folded up his canvas chair. He turned to watch as Anakin made his way across the compound and admired the enormous shadow his apprentice threw against the adobe walls. Obi-Wan waited patiently, studying the way Anakin's shadow grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared completely in the strengthening light.

A simple lesson to be learned, or so he had always thought. The more diffuse the light, the deeper the shadows. But with the right amount of light, even the darkest places will not linger for long.


	11. Chapter 11

Hi everyone.. hangs head

I'm very sorry to have been gone for so long, but as an apology I have two chapters waiting in the wings that will hopefully get this fic rolling. So bear with me while I try to get back in the game.

Despite the nature of politics, Sabe found she had never tired of the complexities of relationships between the individual and the state. A politician's work was never done, for even after the business of the day had been completed, there was a certain inevitable amount of paperwork. So it came as no surprise to Sabe that the High Chancellor headed for her offices within the complex after an impassioned, resounding speech before the Imperial Senate. There had been a momentary discussion between Amidala and the Emperor about Luke's presence; the boy had risen and pressed in close beside him and it had taken every skill Sabe possessed to keep from snatching the child away. In the end, Luke had been left with him and he seemed intent on learning something or other, for he was watching the Emperor raptly. Sabe had taken Leia's hand and allowed the child to swing their joined hands between her playfully as they followed the High Chancellor's entourage to her private offices. Sabe kept a sharp eye on her mistress and noted her stiff walk. Typho, too, had taken a close position to Amidala and offered her his arm at one point, which she had gratefully taken.

Amidala's office, frequently packed from one end to the other with fractious dignitaries was surprisingly empty and Typho had escorted his mistress to her chair and helped her sit down. As Typho stepped back, Sabe met his eyes and watched as he shook his head warningly.

"How are you, milady?" Sabe asked as she and Leia took a couch near the window.

"Well enough." Amidala panted, and Sabe rose to her feet to check her mistress' condition.

"Do you need your breather?" Sabe asked, and bit her lip when Amidala shook her head. Whether it was the movement of her head, or simply a combination of her speaking and then walking a long distance, Sabe didn't know. But the rhythm of her breathing changed abruptly to a wheeze. Sabe sighed, and dug quickly into the center drawer for a mask kept there. She slipped it over Amidala's mouth and motioned for Typho to connect the tube to the tank in the corner. He hurriedly did so, and Sabe knelt before her mistress, smoothing her hair back.

"Slow, deep breaths milady," she cautioned. It took a few minutes for her breathing to slow once more, for the medication in the heavily oxygenated air to sooth the inflamed alveoli in her lungs. She remained seated for fifteen minutes or so, leaning heavily back in her chair with her eyes closed while Sabe waited for Typho to turn the tank off before removing the mask.

"Are you all right, mama?" Leia asked anxiously from across the room. Amidala sat up slowly and opened her eyes. She took an experimental breath and then nodded.

"Yes sweetheart, I'm all right." She said softly.

"Do you want to go home?" Sabe asked, and Amidala shook her head.

"Not just yet. I was hoping to accomplish something while I was here today." She smiled thinly, and Sabe returned it, rising to her feet.

"I'm glad to hear you intend to stay for a few moments at least." Another voice called, and Sabe looked up to find Bail Organa standing in the doorway. He stepped gracefully into the room, his arms held out to the side in anticipation of the full body scan Typho would run before permitting him any further. "I apologize for eavesdropping, milady. I had intended to ask if I might enter your offices as I noticed you seemed ill. I had hoped to speak with you on behalf of the Loyalists."

Typho completed his scan and nodded curtly at the High Chancellor before taking his position at the doorway to prevent anyone else from entering unannounced. Amidala sat up a little bit straighter, and moved her hand subtly in the old handmaiden's code. Sabe rose to her feet and moved to take Leia's hand, but the child bounded to her mother's side and whispered intently in her ear. Bail watched her hungrily, with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Oh, sweetheart, I love you too." Amidala said aloud, and brought a thin hand to her cheek. She took Leia's tiny hand within her own and clasped it, tightly.

"Milady?" Bail asked quietly. "May I speak?"

"Yes." Amidala sighed impatiently, but Bail ignored it and moved to stand before her desk. After a tense moment, she motioned for him to sit and he did so, leaning forward intently.

"How are you?" he asked, and Amidala lifted her chin sharply at his question.

"I am well, now.You wished to speak of the Loyalists?" She prompted coolly, drawing Leia in to sit on her lap.

"You should be able to anticipate my message from the Loyalist committee, milady." Bail drawled, clasping his hands and resting them against his bent knee. "As I recall, we both had a similar agenda when we began the committee some eleven years ago."

"Time flies." Amidala ground out through gritted teeth. "Is there anything new that you wish to speak of?"

Sabe inwardly shuddered at her mistress' cold tone, but it seemed to have no effect on Bail. He met her gaze evenly, and smiled.

"No, milady. Our position is ever the same, in the pursuit of democracy and freedom. We would seek peace for the sake of our children." He gestured subtly at Leia and Amidala instinctively drew her daughter closer.

"Then I suggest that our meeting has come to an end."Amidala snapped. Bail stared at her sadly for a moment, before rising to his feet and bowing, slightly.

"Good day, milady." he said. Sabe stepped forward to see him out as Amidala returned her attention to Leia, who was smiling and laughing.

Sabe did not speak as she escorted Bail to the door and saw him out into the hall. His gaze lingered on her for a long moment, then flickered to Leia, Amidala and back to Sabe once more. Inside, the child's laughter seemed to be infectious, for the High Chancellor leaned her forehead against her daughter's happily.

"Leia, I don't know what I would do without you." she whispered softly.

Bail's eyes flashed darkly for a moment, the furrows of his brow deepened briefly before smoothing once more. Before Sabe could think to question him, he nodded curtly to her and slipped silently down the corridor until he was out of sight.

Two hours and a pile of pads later, Sabe had been given the unenviable task of collecting young Luke from the Emperor and had done so reluctantly, both because she anticipated the child's resistance and her own intense dislike for Palpatine. The child had been somewhat sulky all the way back to Amidala's office, and had then run in to inform his mother of his upcoming coming tour of duty. True to his word, he neglected to mention his assignment, for which Sabe was grateful. Amidala had even taken the news well, whispering her hopes for a brief journey and a safe return.

Although the weather service had made no plans for rain it had done so of its own accord. Sabe had helped the twins don their cloaks and herded both children out into the waiting speeder and had watched as Typho walked carefully across the rain-slicked landing platform with Amidala's arm in his. Her gait had slowed to a shuffle, but she seemed to be breathing well enough. Sabe had helped her in and settled her into her seat quickly as they lifted off. Rain sloshed down the windows and hid their view of the TIE fighters in tight formation about them. No one spoke, even the children were silent as they began their slow spiral down to the landing platform. Sabe shifted uncomfortably in her seat and drew her cloak more tightly about herself. Leia was snuggled close to Amidala, who dozed awkwardly with her head resting against the transparisteel. The little girl was staring out the window, her tiny fingers tracing a small circle onto her knee absently. Luke was also lost in thought, but one small hand was clenched, as was his jaw. He'd been rather subdued most of the afternoon, whether from his irritation at being dragged to the Senate, or simply a result of his time spent with the Emperor, Sabe couldn't guess. The speeder banked slowly to the right, and then to the left again as it decelerated to come to a subtle stop hovering above the platform before settling down and taxiing into the private hangar. Sabe shifted from her seat at last, stretching and unbuckling her lap belt.

"All right, milady." Sabe called softly as she slid from her seat and gently touched Amidala's knee. "We're home now. How are you feeling?" she asked in concern.

The High Chancellor woke with a visible start, looking around the speeder in confusion before she nodded lethargically.

"Tired." She admitted. Sabe waved Luke and Leia out of their lap belts and motioned for them to hop out of the speeder as she helped Amidala to her feet and guided her out to Panaka, who was waiting for them at the base of the steps.

"Would you like a bath before you retire, milady?" Sabe asked as she stepped down behind her. Panaka was careful to put Amidala's small hand in the crook of his elbow before he ambled off slowly.

"Yes, but see to the children first." Amidala's voice was thin, she was walking very slowly and kept her eyes glued to where her feet shuffled on the tarmac. Sabe met Panaka's eyes cautiously, and he nodded. He would make certain the High Chancellor made it to her chambers safely. Clutching the fluttering ends of her cloak in both hands, Sabe hurried past Amidala and joined the children, urging them toward the residence and out of the rain as quickly as possible.

It had come as no surprise to Sabe that Amidala had taken to her bed for the remainder of the day. She'd assisted her mistress out of her formal gown and tucked her back under the covers. Amidala had been asleep before Sabe had turned the lights down and left her to rest. The children, too, had opted for a rare afternoon nap as Sabe had returned to find them snuggled together watching a holodrama in the main living room. Sighing to herself, Sabe leaned against the doorframe and watched them silently. Even in sleep, Luke's hand rested within his pocket. He shifted restlessly, tossing his head slowly from side to side. Thinking to comfort him, Sabe carefully padded to the couch and reached out a hand to smooth his wayward hair away from his brow. She had no sooner reached for him when Luke started awake and snatched her hand in midair. He held it with such a crushing grip that Sabe winced.

"Luke, it's me." She told him urgently. His eyes were hooded, Sabe almost imagined that they smoldered. His grip tightened still further and Sabe barely stifled the urge to cry out. "Luke, it's me." She panted, trying to twist her hand out of his. He seemed far away somewhere.

"I see you, Sabe." Luke began in a low voice that was not his own. "I see you every day. Quiet, complacent, diligent as a handmaiden of Naboo should be. But I know your measure. If you want to remain in the service of your mistress I suggest you cease meddling in my affairs."

"Luke," Sabe pleaded, "Luke, please! You're hurting me!"

In the depths of Luke's eyes, Sabe saw something evil staring back at her for a moment before it receded once more. Luke blinked his eyes slowly as he returned to himself, releasing his death grip on Sabe's wrist. She snatched her wrist away from him and cradled it to her chest. Luke sat up and began to rub his eyes. He inched away from his sister and swung his legs over the edge of the couch. Sabe watched him carefully for a moment, not speaking as Luke lifted his chin and met her eyes.

"Is something wrong, Sabe?" he asked after a moment.

"Why would you think there was?" Sabe asked roughly. Luke looked taken aback at her tone, but met her gaze quizzically.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." He observed, and Sabe caught her breath.

"Perhaps I have." She murmured. "Perhaps I have."


	12. Chapter 12

Like a dying man thrown a lifeline, Anakin seemed to have rediscovered his purpose. He had thrown himself eagerly into his bunk and gathered his remaining possessions, a headwrap, a pair of goggles and a bedraggled all-weather cloak that had once belonged to his master. He had thrown them hurriedly into a small canvas bag and had emerged to find Obi-Wan watching him with an odd expression.

"What is it?" he asked.

"What was it you said your mother told you when you left her?" Obi-Wan asked abruptly, and Anakin turned to face him slowly.

"She told me not to look back." Anakin whispered, and looked up to find Obi-Wan's eyes on him. There was a softness to his features that Anakin had not seen in a long time.

"She was right." Obi-Wan said quietly. "When we look back, we are faced with all the choices that we might have made, the things that might have been. That doesn't change what is." He moved to stand close beside Anakin and clasped his shoulder fondly. Anakin shuddered, but made no attempt to move away. Reaching into the folds of his robe, Obi-Wan extracted a cylinder and offered it to Anakin silently.

"I thought the Emperor—" he started to say, and Obi-Wan shook his head.

"It's not yours."

"I see." Anakin said quietly.

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan waited until he had lifted his gaze from the floor and looked at him steadily. "I want you to take your mother's advice. No matter what happens, I don't want you to look back."

The depth of Obi-Wan's affection for him shone in his eyes, and Anakin started to turn away but arrested the movement. Clutching his lightsaber tightly, Anakin nodded.

Obi-Wan enjoyed few things like he enjoyed confounding Owen Lars. The stodgy back-water farmer had been reluctant to take them in at first, but had done so out of respect for Shmi. He had been markedly patient with Anakin in his silences, and had been thrilled to no measure to find someone who was able to repair vaporators as easily as he had. Owen had been at turns mystified and frustrated with the Force before finally declaring it a hokey religion and turning his nose up at it. But Obi-Wan decided he would forever remember the look upon Owen's face when Anakin had shown up for breakfast and announced to everyone that he and Obi-Wan were heading out for Alderaan that very afternoon. Obi-Wan had taken a drink and studied Owen's face as he gaped for a few moments before finding his voice.

"Why?" he demanded breathlessly. "Why the hell would you get yourselves involved again?

"I think you know why, Owen." Obi-Wan explained patiently. "Evil cannot be left to endure."

"Why now?" Owen slapped the table top sharply. "What do you expect to do?"

"I have told you before—"Obi-Wan began patiently, "that we had to wait for the children to be of an age to understand what has happened. There would have been very little point in stealing the children away only to have to wait for them to mature to an age to be of use."

"How are the two of you going to take on the Empire? If they killed off all those Jedi, I can't see for the life of me how the only two left are going to pull it off!" Owen thundered, and Anakin ducked his head, in shame, or embarrassment, Obi-Wan couldn't guess. He put a hand on Anakin's shoulder before rising to his feet.

"Owen, we're leaving. I'm sorry." Obi-Wan rested his hands on the back of his chair. "We'll need a ride to Mos Eisley, if you wouldn't mind."

"You're serious about this?" Owen asked as he downed the remainder of his meal. Beru was silent, as she had been throughout the meal, but apparently reaching a conclusion she reached out and put a hand on her husband's wrist.

"Let them go. Let them try, Owen." She said softly. "Ben is right. We can't let the Emperor win."

Owen finished toying with his food and shoved the plate aside. Leaning forward, he looked Obi-Wan directly in the eyes. "You think he's up to it? He gonna be any help to you?"

"Anakin will do what needs to be done." Obi-Wan said simply. "He cannot spend the rest of his days in hiding."

"Look, I don't know what you think the two of you can do against the Empire, but if you want to get yourselves killed it isn't any of my business." Owen stood up and shrugged off Beru's hand. "Let's go." He called tersely, as he made his way to the stairs. Obi-Wan leaned forward fondly and pressed a kiss to Beru's cheek.

"Thank you, Beru. For everything."

"You're welcome, Ben." She laughed as she got to her feet. "You'd better hurry, I don't think Owen will wait long."

"I suppose you're right." He said, and shuffled reluctantly toward the staircase.

"Ben?" Beru asked.

"Yes?" he turned to face her, and found Beru's kind eyes shimmered with tears.

"If you do manage to get those children away from the Empire, and you need someplace for them to stay, they're always welcome here." She said softly. Obi-Wan bowed slightly before turning to bound up the staircase behind Anakin.

* * *

Anakin threw himself on the low bench outside the door and put his head in his hands for a moment. He looked up as Obi-Wan sat down beside him and gave him a wan smile.

"You okay?" Obi-Wan asked, and Anakin sighed.

"I think so." He chuckled soberly. "You told me not to look back, and I walked right into it."

"I think you'll find a lot of our journey will be like that." Obi-Wan told him as Anakin nodded. "Where's Owen?"

"Getting the speeder I imagine." Anakin unfolded and stood as Owen backed the speeder out of the garage. Anakin squinted into the sunshine to peer at the backseat and started to laugh.

"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked as he shielded his eyes with his hand. Sitting in the rear seat of the speeder was an all too-familiar gold-plated protocol droid. "I don't believe it." Obi-Wan muttered as Anakin slipped over the side and flung himself down next to C-3PO.

"Where did you get him?" Anakin asked in amazement as Obi-Wan took the front. Owen threw the speeder into gear and tore off toward Mos Eisley.

"I picked him up day before yesterday when the Jawas were out this way. Figured I could use a protocol droid that could speak Bocci. Course, that was before I found out it was Threepio." Owen shook his head in frustration. "You could always take him along." He offered hopefully, and Anakin laughed out loud.

"No thank you!" Obi-Wan shook his head adamantly. "That prissy droid is underfoot in the best of circumstances.

Owen bit the inside of his cheek and nodded ruefully. He fell silent again, and Obi-Wan turned to study Anakin, who was fiddling with one of Threepio's servo motors intently. Unable to entirely hide his smile, Obi-Wan turned back to the front and stared out at the blur of sand, his thoughts on the difficult journey ahead.

Owen had dropped them outside the city's limits and left them to walk in. He'd been gruff, grumbling about the time he'd wasted driving them in, but Obi-Wan could see his concern beneath the surface. He'd gripped the speeder's controls in his hands, clenched until his knuckles whitened while Obi-Wan and Anakin climbed out, leaving only Threepio's golden, glittering husk to occupy the empty space behind him.

"You'll be careful?" he'd asked soberly, and Obi-Wan had nodded. He wondered how much it had cost the stodgy old farmer to ask such a question.

"As much as we are able to."Obi-Wan hedged, and drew a smile out of him.

"I used to hear about the two of you." Owen admitted quietly. "Kenobi and Skywalker. You got in a lot of scrapes."

"We always got out again though." Anakin supplied, meeting his gaze evenly. "We always walk away together." Owen had nodded, and put the speeder back into gear. He had driven away without another word, and Obi-Wan slipped his hands into his cloak and drew it about himself as he started toward Mos Eisley. Anakin moved with him silently, but every once in while his gaze would shift to his master's cloaked form before sliding away again.

"What?" Obi-Wan demanded irritably after they had gone some 50 paces.

"It's just—" Anakin sighed, but gave his master a quirky half-grin reminiscent of his youth. "well, don't you think you look like you're trying a little too hard to hide something?"

"I've done this more times than you have." Obi-Wan pointed out crossly.

"I'm just saying.."Anakin was grinning as he started forward once more, and delighted in his master's heavy sigh.

"You just worry about yourself." Obi-Wan called. Staring for a moment at Anakin's already distant form, he shook his head. It was good to have his padawan beside him once more, even if the odds were not in their favor on this mission.

* * *

Obi-Wan settled back in his seat aboard the transport ship with a sigh. It hadn't taken them long to get into trouble, but fortunately, nothing had truly come of it. Yet. He grinned ruefully, there seemed to be no way to leave Tatooine without bringing along another pathetic lifeform. A young pick pocket by the name of Han Solo had been trying to eek out a miserable living in Mos Eisley, after he'd been abandoned by his last employer. It had surprised Obi-Wan that Anakin hadn't punished the boy, instead, he'd insisted that he at least travel with them to Alderaan. Give the boy a chance at a decent living, if there was such a thing to be found any more. Sobering, Obi-Wan turned to find his padawan had his face pressed to the window and was intently staring out at the starfield. 

"I don't think it's changed much." He pointed out dryly.

"It beats watching the in-flight safety vid." Anakin pointed out, and Obi-Wan chuckled. "I really don't think there's much point to knowing how to survive a water landing in a space-faring ship."

"I suppose not." Obi-Wan agreed, still smiling.

"Can I turn this on?" Han interrupted without warning, and Anakin crossed back over to sit beside him as he struggled with the vid.

"I don't see why not." He assented, and brought the screen up. "You have something you need to see?"

"Don't feel like watching that." Han grunted. He flipped mercurially through several channels before Anakin put a hand on his arm to stop him.

"Wait, what's that?" he asked.

Beneath him, Obi-Wan felt the hyper drive engines kick in as they made the jump. The starfield voided completely, and he felt compelled to pull the shutter down.

"It's just the news." Han sounded put-out, but Anakin wouldn't let him change the channel. He looked longingly at the screen, and fiddled to bring the volume up.

"_..we have learned that the High Chancellor's health has continued to improve, and that Her Excellency is expected to meet all of her appointments this week. In a related story,we have learned that young Luke Naberrie is to begin his tour of duty aboard the Imperial ship the Executor. It is widely rumored through many Imperial circles that the High Chancellor's son is showing great talent as a future commander, and it is expected that the Emperor will name him in an official capacity before too much longer."_

The vidscreen had shifted to show footage of the twins together, and then Luke, alone, boarding a private shuttle that would presumably take him to his post aboard the Executor. Anakin stared at the tiny holoimage of his son with an unreadable expression that hovered somewhere between longing and resentment. Han, too stared at the image darkly before wrestling the tiny screen away from him. Anakin let go limply, and sank into his seat.

"Can't stand that." Han muttered, resuming his search for something to watch.

"What?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Spoiled Imperial brats. No idea how it is outside their pretty little walls. Still, I say better him than me."

"Why do you say that?" Anakin asked faintly.

"You won't catch me wearing a uniform, taking orders. Give me a ship of my own and cargo, and I'll keep as far under the radar as possible." Han seemed to have settled on something, and Anakin grinned despite himself as he glanced at the screen to find it full of half-naked girls.

"Might come a day when you find yourself getting involved. You can't always stay under the radar." Anakin pointed out, and Han shook his head adamantly.

"Got no love for the Empire. Not the Rebellion either. I just want to be left alone." Han said, sinking back into his seat and leaning away into the aisle. Anakin seemed as though he had considered arguing it further, but changed his mind, crossing over to sit beside Obi-Wan again. Leaning close, Obi-Wan kept a wary eye on the seat across from them.

"That's distressing." He said quietly. "That the boy has left so soon for his next tour of duty."

"We could try to track down the Executor.." Anakin began, and Obi-Wan shook his head in amusement.

"I don't think we're quite ready to take on the Imperial Navy." He said dryly.

"What'll we do?"

"We'll have to try for the girl instead." Obi-Wan said simply, and Anakin shot him a look of disbelief.

"Is..is she--?" Anakin seemed to be trying to find a delicate way to phrase his question, and Obi-Wan took pity on him.

"She is as capable as he is." Obi-Wan said gently. "Perhaps more easily molded as well, since I presume the Emperor has likely spent most of his time working with your son."

"Easily molded?" Anakin snorted. "Not if she's like her mother." He muttered darkly.

* * *

Author's note: I couldn't resist adding a little Malcolm Reynolds to Han's character. If you have NOT seen Firefly or Serenity, I highly recommend them! 


	13. Chapter 13

Faster-than-light-speed had been an amazing discovery that had enabled ships to travel great distances in short periods of time. Hyperspace travel had shortened the time still further, so that any given light year could be covered in a fraction of the time. Obi-Wan had settled back in the ratty seat of the transport ship and waited, patiently. And waited. And waited.

The average time for transit between Alderaan and Tatooine had been about three days on a public transport; but this one seemed below par. After four days, the ship had finally begun an orbital approach to Alderaan. Despite repeated meditations, Obi-Wan had found himself anxiously willing the ship to move faster. He even found himself envying Anakin's calm; for he was composed both outwardly and inwardly. His tranquility was startling, never before had the younger man been so still, so—serene. When at last the ship had docked with orbital control, Anakin stood and stretched. He reached for his bag in the compartment above him, moving with a fluidity and grace that Obi-Wan couldn't even muster after four days in a cramped ship.

"Should we take a ride down to the planet surface?" he asked quietly, even as he snagged Han by the back of his shirt and pulled him back.

"I had planned on it. Haven't taken a trip down to Alderaan in ages." Obi-Wan lied smoothly. They disembarked and moved through a turnstile, where Anakin paused to swipe their credits card through the machine. Taking a handhold on a station shuttle, Obi-Wan watched through the tinted windows as Anakin settled their bags at his feet and took his own handle. Alderaan was as it had ever been, since its admission to the Republic a millennia ago. Peaceful waterfalls, aethestically pleasing architecture and people of a gentle nature made up one of the most influential planets in the Old Republic—and the Empire. As the shuttle docked, Obi-Wan released his handle and took the luggage from Anakin as he struggled to manage it and keep the boy from taking off. Smiling to himself, Obi-Wan shook his head as Anakin snagged Han by the arm and escorted him forward. A sudden blur of white caught his eye, and he looked up to find he had run into a stormtrooper in full armor.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." He said softly, and backed up a step.

"Quite all right." The clone said, and Obi-Wan swallowed his nervousness. Casting a look to his right, he found Anakin shooting him a look of his own, but was wisely holding his tongue as he shephered young Han out into the waiting area.

"Where do you think we should go first?" Anakin asked, and Obi-Wan forced himself to look away from the milling troopers.

"I don't know, actually." He answered. "I hadn't planned on it being so crowded."

Leaving Anakin to watch the boy, Obi-Wan made a few discreet inquiries and discovered that the stormtroopers were part of a garrison leaving for the outer rim. He also learned through a chatty bartender that the Grand Moff Tarkin was rumored to be paying a visit to the people of Alderaan; and was to meet with Prince Organa shortly.

And unexpectedly.

Anakin was on his feet with the boy, ready to move when Obi-Wan returned. Without saying a word, Anakin moved to the ticket counter and booked passage for all of them on another transport.

To Imperial Center.

* * *

Few things could be universally constant like Coruscant, Obi-Wan decided. After another two day journey on a public ship, it was a welcome relief to see the corona of light reflected from the city planet's metallic surface. It blazed brighter than the distant sun and cast a halo about their beleagured transport as it moved to join the entry lane. Nothing had changed in his ten year absence, at least not outwardly. Speeder lanes appeared as poorly regulated as ever; filled to capacity and beyond with vehicles of every make, including many that should not have been allowed to remain operational. As the transport broke atmosphere, Obi-Wan pulled the shade down and grinned, ruefully. It was good to be home again, no matter the circumstances.

Opposite him, Anakin had at last succumbed to sleep; sitting upright in his seat with his head resting against the wall. Even their young pickpocket slept, slouched in his chair. Reaching out gently, Obi-Wan shook Anakin's shoulder to bring him to wakefulness.

"Where are we?" he asked tiredly; sitting up stiffly.

"Just breaking atmosphere." Obi-Wan whispered softly. "Did you dream?"

"Not anymore." Anakin whispered. Obi-Wan sighed to himself, but said nothing further as Anakin woke the boy.

"I assume we're going pretty far down." Obi-Wan announced, as the ship took a deep descent angle.

"Wouldn't be much point to landing up on top these days." Anakin shook his head; whether in exasperation or amusement Obi-Wan couldn't tell. "Business should be as usual below the surface."

"You think so?"

"Trust me, Ben." Anakin said, looking him right in the eyes. "Some things never change."

Outside the window, the scenery began to change from the sun kissed spires of the upper level to the dingy midlevel. Lower and lower they spiraled; the shadows crept in as they gathered their belongings and prepared to disembark. The pleasant morning up on the surface had long since faded into an inky blackness that smelled of smoke and exhaust and professed a multitiude of sins. The transport leveled out and made to berth as the passengers got to their feet. Anakin swung his bag up onto his shoulder and put a retraining hand on Han's.

"You ever been to Coruscant, kid?" he asked in a low voice.

"I can handle myself." Han muttered angrily.

"Not here, you can't. You keep your hands to yourself. There's no mercy here for some dumb kid trying his hand at petty crime. They'd rather shoot first and ask questions later." Anakin warned.

Han shrugged Anakin's hand off and turned to glare at him fully. "How long do you plan on keeping me?"

"Til you save my life, kid." Anakin answered glibly. "You owe me now."

"How do you figure I owe you that much? I didn't even steal anything!" Han protested.

"I saved your life. You weren't that good at theft and sooner or later you'd have starved to death."

Obi-Wan hid a smile as they shuffled off the transport and out into the main arrival platform. As expected, it was dimly lit and dingy. Looking about, he could already see two professional pickpockets and a handful of assorted death stick dealers. He looked to Anakin, to find he had once more taken hold of the boy's shirt and was escorting him toward the nearest escalator. Standing grouped together on the steps, Obi-Wan looked up in time to see a massive vid re-running footage of the High Chancellor's moving speech to the Imperial Senate. Anakin's features were inscrutable; but his eyes shone with something between longing and anguish.

* * *

It had been a rough night, Sabe mused wearily. Rubbing her eyes, she moved out onto the veranda and blinked in the glare of the sun. Amidala had overdone it the day before, and it hadn't been long after Luke boarded his transport that Sabe had been alerted to Amidala's bedside when her oxygenation levels dropped without warning.

She had all but sprinted down the hallway to find Amidala gasping for breath and had hurriedly fitted her with her mask; but even that was not enough. Liral had taken one look at her and quickly ordered her back into her hyperbaric chamber. Sabe had reluctantly helped him carry her in—even in the face of her silent, wheezing protest—and tucked her into bed. Liral had activated the seals and silently held out a breather mask for Sabe, who took it hesitantly. The masks had been a necessity for all assisting with her care, for the heavily oxygenated air tended to make those with healthy lung tissue very light headed.

"How bad is it?" Sabe asked, once she had fitted the mask. Her voice sounded distant even to her own ears, and she cursed the mask's muffling effect. In the bed, Amidala seemed to be getting the air she needed at last, for her eyes were fluttering closed.

"Not as I would like." Liral muttered faintly, and Sabe closed her eyes, and counted to three. It would not do to strangle the High Chancellor's personal physician. Especially not in the chamber that he had specifically designed to help her breathe better. Sabe repressed the urge to giggle at that; the oxygen rich environment must have affected her more than she had previously thought.

"How would you like it?" she asked as politely as she could. There must have been some note of frustration in her voice, for the physician turned to look at her shrewdly.

"I would like to see her oxygenation levels at least close to ninety. But as it is, even on her best day they are in the mid-seventies. If you'll note the readout, you cannot help but notice that they are barely over sixty."

"Could you guess what triggered this attack?" Sabe asked as she moved over to check Amidala's pulse for herself despite being able to see it on the monitor above her head.

"Too much activity." Liral said dryly. "I cannot stress to her Excellency enough the seriousness of her condition. Despite the Emperor's assistance, she can hardly expect to be up and about only a day after her last bout with illness."

Sabe nodded. "I agree. Still, milady is nothing if not diligent about service."

"I am well aware of her ladyship's diligence, handmaiden." Liral said. "She should be commended for her service to the Empire. And then hospitalized."

"Surely it's not that severe?" Sabe asked as the physician shook his head at the readings the monitors displayed.

"Not yet." Liral quietly shuffled back to his infopads and made a couple notes. "I will try a couple of treatments that will hopefully ease the irritation in the alveoli and enable her to use more of the oxygen she breathes in on her own."

"And if not?"

"Then hospitalization may be required."

"Milady destests hospitals." Sabe warned.

"I am aware of that." Liral muttered darkly as he bared Amidala's arm and admistered a shot. He rubbed the injection site for a moment, and then set her arm down.

"We'll give this an hour or so to work."

"Very well." Sabe agreed, as Liral packed up his bags and left Sabe to tend her mistress in silence.

* * *

Obi-Wan had chucked in amusement at Han's determination to hold a grudge. The boy had all but refused to remain with Anakin willingly by the time they left the docking pad, and Anakin had been forced to resort to the Force itself to hang onto him. Unfortunately for the boy, he looked like a pet psycho on a chain; for he raged to anyone and everyone in earshot that he was being held against his will.

Invisibly.

Anakin had been deeply amused by the boy's vocal protest, winking in good humor at everyone who looked their direction. A few chuckled with him. Once out of the spaceport's bustling pad, Obi-Wan shaded his eyes and peered up into the skyline.

"How far down do you think we are?" he asked, and Anakin shrugged nonchalantly.

"Fifty, sixty levels maybe."

"I've never been here before."

"I believe that." Anakin muttered, as he began shepherding them toward a walking lane.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Obi-Wan demanded breathlessly as they jogged across the street to avoid a multidecker speeder barreling toward them.

"You didn't get out much, did you, Ben?"

"Sure I did. I went to plays and vids."

"Up on the surface."

"Well, yes. That was only because that's where they were." Obi-Wan bristled defensively.

"It's a whole different world down here, which I'm sure you've noticed." Anakin soothed, and Obi-Wan marveled at the suddenly diplomatic note Anakin's tone had taken.

"Did you come down here a lot?"

Anakin nodded, after a moment. "When I was a kid, whenever we had free time. I liked the gambling. They even have an underground pod racing movement. All amateurs, of course."

"Did you race?" Obi-Wan asked shrewdly, and watched Anakin closely. To his surprise, the younger man turned to face him with an open, honest expression.

"No. I'd decided it wasn't fair for me to enter a race knowing that I was going to win." Anakin put his hands in the pockets of his robe and shuffled past Obi-Wan to pull Han away from the wall he'd been leaning on and guide him down the moving sidewalk once more.

Obi-Wan watched him walk away; feeling surprised and oddly pleased to learn that Anakin had not raced. It was comforting to know that the boy he had known; the one who could make such conscientious decisions was still somewhere in the man that stood beside him.


	14. Chapter 14

I would like to welcome both Cibbler and BabaBiP-I never had a chance to say thanks to either of you for your kind comments, my apologies:)

Fear leads to anger.

Anger leads to hate.

Hate leads to suffering.

Sabe knew the ways of the Jedi; although of late she had heard nothing but outlandish tales of their sorecery and had dismissed most of them. She had always held a deep respect for the Jedi and their talent as healers, mediators and combatants. She had mourned them when they had been cut down. But their words had remained with her, suffused into her very being. It had become not merely an expression but a perception. They had changed the way she looked at the world. Sitting in the darkness of Amidala's hyperbaric chamber, Sabe felt a chill envelop her that had nothing to do with the temperature of the room. Although it had not seemed like it at the time, Sabe had come to realize that the Jedi had understood more of the soul than most other beings. They had understood that the capacity for love was both a great and treacherous thing. Left unchecked, unreciprocated, the desire for love could so easily become fear. Fear became anger. And hate. And it did lead to suffering.

A great deal of suffering.

Shaking herself, Sabe roused from her bedside vigil and stood to pace about the hyperbaric chamber slowly. The night Jamillia had taken office, she had fled to her lakeside retreat. It had been the last time she had seen Amidala at peace. After she had watched the Queen fade into retirement, Sabe had thrown herself eagerly into her life as a civilian. She'd embraced her education, enrolled at the university and attended full time classes with relish. She'd rejoined her family and friends, renewed many old relationships that she had allowed to fall by the wayside in light of her status as the Queen's decoy. She had been shocked to hear of Amidala's appointment as Senator; but had supported her decision. Deep down, Sabe had been secretly pleased that she had rejoined the political arena. Amidala was a shrewd politician and it was a boon for their people that she was to represent them.

Sabe rubbed her eyes wearily as she moved to the 'fresher and quickly filled herself a cup of water from the sink. She had remained outside of Amidala's service—but had kept in contact with Corde, Dorme and Verse who served her on Coruscant. She had mourned for Corde, when the handmaiden was killed in the first assassination attempt. And she had sympathized with both Dorme and Verse, who called infrequently to share their ever-mounting frustration with their mistress' antics in light of the infrequent attempts on her life. And then—there had been the attempt that had nearly cost Amidala her life. And the lives of her unborn children.

Setting her glass down, Sabe sank to her knees and leaned back against the cabinet, putting her head in her hands. She tried to ignore the way they trembled as the memory of the accident still rattled her.

"I'm home!" Sabe called cheerfully. Pulling her keycard out of the lock, she had stumbled into the shared apartment with an armload of books that she promptly dropped on the table.

"Sabe!" Ryloxa called urgently, and Sabe froze, for her unflappable roommate had never sounded upset before. "You have to see this!"

"What is it?" she'd asked breathlessly, racing down the hall to the small vid room. She had flopped down on the couch beside Ryloxa and stuggled to make sense of the image on the screen.

"There's been an explosion. They're saying it was Senator Amidala's shuttle." Ryloxa told her gently, and Sabe stared harder at it, trying to put the pieces into focus. It certainly looked like a J324 Nubian shuttle, but that didn't mean that it was her shuttle. There were lots of Nubian shuttles on Coruscant.

"What happened?" Sabe asked in a whisper, for her voice had failed her.

"They don't know. There's rumor of foul play…" Sabe no longer heard Ryloxa's voice, for her entire being was focused on the bold typeface words that appeared on the bottom of the screen and declared that Senator Amidala of Naboo's shuttle had been shot out of the sky. It had plummeted over sixty levels through busy evening traffic, but there was no word as yet on the condition of the Senator herself. Sabe jumped when her personal commlink suddenly vibrated, and she dug it out hurriedly to find Dorme was as white as a sheet.

"Sabe," She whispered, "I need you to come to Coruscant immediately. I need your help."

"What happened?" Sabe asked as she got to her feet and stumbled away from the grim wreckage of the shuttle, and the bickering of the newscasters. She staggered to the 'fresher, the only place in their small apartment that offered any privacy.

"I need you to come to Coruscant." Dorme repeated dumbly. Sabe sank down on the tiled floor and gripped the tiny screen with two hands.

"What happened to _her_?" Sabe hissed angrily. "Is she hurt, or—?" Sabe paused as she realized for the first time that Dorme might not have been calling only to tell her that Amidala was injured.

"She's alive, for now." Dorme looked suddenly old, and weary. "Her condition is far from stable."

"What is her status?" Sabe asked crisply; she had ever remained a vigilant handmaiden in service to her mistress.

Dorme sighed shakily, and sank down to sit on a bench nearby. "The shuttle was shot down around 0930. We have no idea what caused it. After the first shot took out the nav system, Lieutenant Piley tried to fly manually. The second shot destroyed the engines, and it started to go down. Typho went to the back and got her ready to evacuate, but it's so hard for her to move in her condition—"

"Condition?" Sabe demanded breathlessly, and Dorme's head jerked up sharply at what she had said. "What condition?"

"She's pregnant."

Had Sabe not been sitting on the floor, she knew she'd have likely ended up there. As it was, her head was spinning. "How far along is she?"

"Seven months."

"Is—did—" Sabe felt her lips moving but couldn't force the words past them. Dorme nodded gently, as she continued with her story. "Typho threw them both out of the shuttle and did his best to pick a good spot to land. Unfortunately, they missed the first platform and richoted down ten more."

Sabe let out a hiss as she hugged herself. "How badly was she hurt? What about the baby?"

"She suffered multiple severe injuries. Both legs broken, spinal trauma; there's a fracture at the base of her skull. Numerous contusions, some small burns, not to mention the inhalation of the smoke and gases from the explosion. Actually, it's the damage to her lungs that is most worrisome."

"It's all correctable with bacta immersion, right?" Sabe got to her feet; feeling for the first time that she was back on firm ground.

"They can't immerse her."

"Why not?" she demanded angrily.

"She's carrying twins."

Sabe felt the air whoosh out of her lungs and she leaned against the countertop once more. "Twins?"

"She didn't know. None of us did. They're doing their best, Sabe. The Chancellor has seen to it that she will receive the best care available. But I know she would benefit from having you at her side." Dorme twisted her hands together shyly and looked up at the camera. "They're going to try to allow the twins to remain in utero for as long as possible. But if they have to induce—Sabe, I can't do it alone."

Sabe nodded numbly, forgetting that Dorme could not see her face. "I'll be there as soon as possible." she whispered. She scarcely heard Dorme's warm gratitude as she closed the commlink with a snap. She stared into the mirror blankly for a moment until Ryloxa's face appeared beside her own. She started then, and looked down to where her hands clenched the marbled countertop.

"What happened?" she asked gently.

Sabe clenched her jaw; she knew that Ryloxa meant well, but it was deeply ingrained in her to maintain her mistress' privacy above all else. "I have to get to Coruscant."

* * *

Sabe had hurriedly thrown her luggage together and boarded a Royal cruiser to Coruscant that Queen Apailiana had been kind enough to offer. Sabe had eagerly taken her up on it. Amidala was revered on Naboo, and a dear friend and mentor to Apailiana. Of the two day journey itself, she remembered nothing. She had spent her time aboard the ship taking care of her affairs back home; giving notice on her apartment, withdrawing from her classes, paying bills. Dorme had met her as her ship had touched down, and had guided her quickly through the blinding throngs of paparazzi to the armored shuttle awaiting them.

"How is she?" Sabe asked as the door was closed, and Dorme met her eyes fully.

"No change, thus far. She has been able to hold the twins, thankfully. They've set her legs and treated her burns."

"Has she awakened?" Sabe asked bluntly, and sighed when Dorme shook her head.

"No. I'm not sure if they're keeping her sedated."

"You should have asked." Sabe bit her lip as Dorme looked crestfallen. "I'm sorry, I know you've been here doing the best you could."

"I haven't spoken with her family." Dorme admitted. "They've called, and I'm not certain what to tell them."

"Do they know she's pregnant?"

"They do now." Dorme pointed out sourly. "Some Holonet reporter leaked it, and it's been everywhere."

"We'll have to tell her family something. They'll be on the next transport out if they're not already."

The shuttle began spiraling down to a distant landing platform, and Sabe jumped as an X wing flew by her window in a standard flight plan.

"When did we pick up an escort?" she asked in confusion.

"The Chancellor assigned them to us. To milady. She's under armed guard and surveillance at the hospital. He'll take no chances with her safety."

"I meant to ask, what happened to Captain Typho?"

"He was badly injured as well." Dorme reported. "They've put him in a bacta tank, and he should be ready to come out again sometime tomorrow."

"I suppose with bacta treatment he'll make a full recovery?" Sabe asked.

"He should. His physicians are certainly hopeful of one."

As the shuttle landed, Dorme and Sabe got to their feet and slid out the opened door. It seemed strange, Sabe decided, to travel with all the power and prestige of the Senator's office when she herself was not present. They moved through the sterile corridors of the hospital and hurried to Amidala's private room on the third floor. As Dorme had already pointed out, security was tight. Both handmaidens showed i.d. and were waved through. Despite Dorme's repeated warnings, Sabe sucked in a breath when she saw Amidala's broken form lying on the bed.The hiss from the ventilator revealed she was intubated, and where the tubes did not obscure her face bandages swathed it. Both legs had been splinted and hung suspended above the end of the bed. Although there were no bandages on her arms, she was mottled with bruises that were every color in the spectrum. Oddly, the only part of that seemed to have been left alone was her belly; where the twins rested unaware of their precarious existence. Sabe reached out with a gentle hand and put a hand atop her protruding stomach. Beneath her touch, one of the twins rolled and kicked. Feeling close to tears, Sabe closed her eyes and removed her hand slowly.

Dorme had removed her cloak and sank down in a seat near the head of the bed. She took Amidala's limp hand and cradled it securely within her own and whispered that Sabe had come to join them at last.

"Has she responded at all?" Sabe asked crisply as she moved to the other side of the bed and took Amidala's other hand to press a gentle kiss to it.

"No." Dorme admitted sadly.

Leaning over the Senator, Sabe inspected the bandages wound about her head carefully, and then looked up in horror.

"Did they shave her hair off?"

"Yes."Dorme nodded, and wrapped her arms about herself tightly.

"All of it?"Sabe asked incredulously. She supposed it had been necessary, but it was terrible all the same.

"I believe so. I know when she first arrived they made short work of her clothing, and wasted no time rushing her in for body scans. By the time I got here, they had sent her up for surgery. I came as soon as I could." Dorme added hurriedly, when Sabe's expression soured.

"I know you did." Sabe soothed, and held out a hand for Dorme. "When did you last sleep?"

Dorme shook her head wearily. "Three days ago."

"I think you should go get some rest then. I'll stay with her for now." Sabe gave the other handmaiden a small smile. Dorme nodded, and got to her feet slowly. She shuffled toward a cot that had been placed in the corner. Flopping down on it bonelessly, Dorme put a hand over her eyes and seemed to fall asleep immediately.

Sabe sank down into Dorme's chair and stared silently at Amidala's prone form. The burns and bruises were slowly diminishing, as the bacta that had been spread over them did their job. She could only hope the remainder of her injuries would heal as easily. Sighing shakily, Sabe kissed her hand again and sat down on the edge of the bed cautiously. Studying Amidala carefully, Sabe could see a small chain about her neck beneath the flimsy hospital gown. Sliding a finger under it, she lifted the chain free and studied the small wooden pendant. It was hewn by hand, roughmade but smooth to the touch. The symbols carved into the wood were indecipherable; being neither Nubian nor Basic in origin. With a flash of insight, Sabe recalled young Anakin Skywalker had made the gift for Amidala while on Tatooine ten years earlier.

Shaking her head, Sabe was unable to stop the smile from spreading on her face.

"You are a lucky woman, milady." She whispered softly.

* * *

Sabe had no recollection of falling asleep, but she woke to find a young nurse standing before her. Sitting up groggily, Sabe started to apologize but found the nurse shaking her head.

"It's all right. I hoped not to wake you, but the surgeon would like to talk to you." she whispered. "And besides, I should change some of her dressings." Casting a look to Dorme, who was still sound asleep in the cot, she raised an eyebrow inquiringly.

"My name is Sabe. I was once a handmaiden to the Senator, years ago. Dorme asked for my help." Sabe stood and stretched, and the nurse nodded.

"Dr. Tesplaev is waiting for you in the hall." She said simply, and Sabe hurried to the door. The surgeon was a balding, middle-aged man who looked as weary as she felt. He smiled wanly at her, and gestured for her to join him in a small lounge. As she sank into the seat, he poured a cup of caf and offered it to her.

"Thank you." Sabe took the cup and breathed deeply. The caf was thick and gritty, but she drank it gratefully nonetheless.

"I assume you are part of Senator Amidala's entourage?" the physician asked as he took his own cup and sank wearily into the seat across from her.

"Yes, I was one of her handmaidens while she served as Queen. Dorme called and asked for my assistance." Sabe explained, swirling the dregs of her caf absently.

"I am of Naboo as well." the doctor admitted quietly. "She saved my family during the invasion."

"She saved many lives." Sabe said.

"Indeed." The doctor shifted uncomfortably as he drained his caf in one go. "Her injuries are severe, which I'm sure you know. We have splinted her legs, and I believe the fractures will heal quickly. We've also dealt with the worst of her burns and cuts. The remaining injuries are what concern me most, frankly. The spinal trauma is luckily nothing more than bruising, really. But the fracture to the base of her skull has prompted some bleeding. We're pushing medication to try and stop the bleeding, and we'll need to operate to ease some of the pressure on the area. I believe if we can alleviate the swelling, this will reverse itself with no further complications."

Sabe nodded, meeting his gaze steadily. "What of the damage to her lungs?"

"We have her intubated for the moment. They were badly damaged, both by the gasses in the explosion, and two separate punctures from her fall. In light of her multiple serious injuries, we simply opted to treat her other wounds first. Once she has been stabilized and the bleeding has stopped, we will begin treatment."

"And the twins?"

"They have come through this incident extremely well, considering the circumstances. Both heartbeats are normal, and neither infant seems to be in distress. However, it will be a long and difficult surgery to correct the fracture to her skull. It might be best if we were to simply perform a cesaerian and minimize the stress for both the children and their mother." The physician stared at her levelly, and Sabe sighed.

"I do not know if I am authorized to make such a decision."

"You are, Sabe." Dorme chimed in from the doorway. "You were named in her dossier."

"Long ago—" Sabe began to argue, but paused when Dorme shook her head adamantly.

"She never removed you."

"What of her family?" Sabe asked expectantly. "I know that they are likely on the list as well, and their desire must surely supercede my own."

"I don't believe so. Milady loves her family, but has confided in me on numerous occasions that she does not trust them to make a rational decision where she is concerned." Dorme crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. Biting her lip, Sabe studied her folded hands anxiously. After a long moment, she looked up and met the physician's gaze earnestly.

"I give my permission for milady to undergo a c-section." she said formally. "I will be in the room with her."

"I can't—" the physician began, and Sabe shook her head adamantly.

"I will be in the room, or no procedure will take place."

"Very well." He conceded, and got to his feet. "I will make the arrangements."


End file.
